The silence of the board
by Luzem
Summary: When Hikaru's soul is hurting, but his voice won't tell... then a board must suffice, or not?. AU
1. Of encounters and bittler losses

Author notes:

2. - This will not follow canon, but the main points will be the same (Sai's disappearance, Touya/Hikaru rivalry -if a little more intense -I hope).

3. - This, as most of my fics will be light angst, and generally not too cheerful, but don't worry, I like if not completely happy, fair ends….

Disclaimer: No I don't own Hikaru no Go or any of the characters, Hell! I don't even know how to play Go, and I'm a miserable student with little money, time and properties, so please don't sue me…

Chapter one: Of encounters and bitter loses

The small hospital looked almost cheerful in the soft morning light.

"…accident!"

"…would not…"

"…critical state"

"…wake up…"

"…last time…."

Wide green eyes fogged with pain stared at the people surrounding him, but the face he was searching for wasn't there. "...Mama…" he called and someone gently smoothed his fringe "shh… she will be fine…"

So many voices….

"…Alone?..."

" one survivor…."

"We're losing him!"

"Don't…..!...hurry!"

Who was speaking?

His mother had told him that they were going to Okinawa. At first he had remained on his seat, peacefully staring at the road for about ten minutes before growing bored. Then, he had started to jump on his seat "Hikaru stop doing that or you will cause an accident" his mother had told him with her serious gaze, so he dug a small hole in the seat, trying to investigate the mysterious and soft thing that it was made of.

"Hikaru stop doing that!" still not listening, he got up, stretching his body. Big green eyes alight with mischief stared at his mother and he began to sing a tune about a bird that his teacher had taught him. "Hikaru please! Be quiet!" his mother scolded him, so he changed the tune and started a new one with glee, singing at the top of his lungs, "Hikaru for God's sake! shut up or I will leave you in the middle of the road!" He looked at his mother to see if she was beign serious, but he was suddenly being shoved to the floor. Hard, and there were noises, loud noises, screaming, and pain.

Why were they screaming?... he was flying... his back was aching... and he was in the middle of the road, like his mother told him…. where?

Where was his mother...?

Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5

"It will be only a few weeks Hikaru, you understand that... Don't you?" His father was saying but he didn't answer. He didn't like to talk anymore. His mother had left him alone because he was too noisy …maybe if he was silent enough…

Shindo Masao sighed at his silent child, the accident seemed to have stolen his voice. Too occupied with his wife's funeral and a new promotion on his work, he had not paid much attention to his son, who usually stayed in his room most of the time without making a noise.

And now he had to travel to Hokkaido for a few weeks. Masao looked at his father and bowed once. "I'm leaving now, please take care of my son, father" The old man bowed silently and took the small child's hand " Don't worry Masao, Hikaru will be just fine … be careful and have a good trip ".

Hikaru looked at his grandpa and the old man smiled at him "Hikaru would you like some tea?" Asked his grandpa, but he shook his head lightly, and the man sighed softly. "What about if I show you all my treasures? You have always wanted to see the loft right?" This time the child did smile and nodded.

The old man smiled gently at the boy and grabbed a small hand between his."Just don't tell grandma. Ok?"

The loft was dark and dusty but to the child's mind it was mysterious and in need of exploration. Several dozen of pots, parchments, plates, and a very dusty box full of old clothes ... half hour later, a large goban came into view, and the child stared at it.

"Ah! I had forgotten about this! It's a Goban, it was my brother's, see? It's for playing Go" The child was staring at the goban so intently that the old man suddenly had an idea. "Nee, Hikaru. Would you like to learn Go?"

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"Hikaru hurry up! Grandpa is waiting!" Several stumps and stomps later, a flushed six years old came into view, a small backpack hanging in his hand. "Ready Hikaru?" Asked his grandpa and the child smiled and nodded, and the man smiled sadly. It had been more than a year since the accident and his precious grandson still wasn't speaking, his cheerful attitude and general tendency to mischief had returned; if only in his grandpa's house and presence.

While now more open, the child was just a shadow of his former cheerful and cocky self; now he was just generally quiet, and extremely attentive to everything the man said, as is afraid of missing a word or a gesture.

Just as they entered the ancient house the child sprinted to the inside, chuckling, the old man walked peacefully knowing exactly where he would find the child. Just as he had expected he found him sitting in front of his goban staring at it as if waiting for something, Go, the only thing that seemed to really occupy him. "Remember back straight, and keep in zeiza. Good." He instructed in a mock serious voice and he child beamed at him, urging him to take the other seat.

"Yes, yes we may start…"

At first, the child had not seemed too interested in the game it was only after a nightly conversation that the child had started to really love the game.

FLASH BACK

The night so fresh and quiet seemed perfect to just sleep outside, with the summer in full the cool air was a blessing. Heihachi looked at the dozing child curled in a blanked at his side."Nee Hikaru, did you knew that the board of Go can represent the sky?" The child looked at the dark sky and the shining stars and pointed at them with a questioning glance "That's right, the stones are the stars, if you just glance at them, they seem unorganized, but when you learn to read them you can see their beautiful pattern, the same as Go, with Go you can make your own sky…Of course that's my theory…" The child opened his eyes wide and looked once more at the night and then at his small hands not quite believing that his tiny fingers could do such thing

"With those" Said the man reaching for the small kid's hands "you can reach your very own stars". The man laughed at the amazed look in the child's face and smiled gently at him "Well that's just my theory... but I believe in it from the bottom of my heart."

END OF FLASHBACK

After that, the child learned the game with a new passion. The man smiled at the child and said with a mischievous smile "What about if I put you some puzzles? If you can answer them, then we will have ramen for dinner!" Hikaru smiled and nodded.

Three hours latter a soft hand in his shoulder surprised him and he looked up at the gentle face of his beloved wife. "Still playing that?" She asked and the old man smiled at her, and so did the child, the old woman gave the kid a cookie.

"I swear you are just as bad as your grandpa Hikaru, but that's all right!"

Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5

That night, the child woke up in the middle of the night, it wasn't a nightmare but a feeling the responsible for his abrupt awakening, stepping out of his futon he walked silently around the house, then outside, finally reaching the courtyard.

The loft stood enormous and silent as always at the side, and inside... something... calling him.

Small feet carried him to the heavy door to find it slightly open, just enough for him to pass through. Once inside, he was overwhelmed by the silence and darkness of the place, but that call was stronger, it was like a soft voice... compelling, pleading...

He climbed the stairs and looked around the dusty space, searching, feeling... he then spotted the old goban, it was as old and dusty as the last time, but now, there were brownish stains in one corner.

_"….Can you…..?...You can hear me?"_

The child stayed frozen in his place, there was a voice and it wasn't his grandpa's or his grandma's.

_"Can you hear my voice?"_ Asked again that voice and the child started searching for the one who was speaking, but he could only see darkness and old boxes_. "Can you hear my voice?"_ The voice was rising in volume and the temperature was dropping in the room.

The child started to retreat, still searching the owner of the voice, he tried to scream but his throat was closed with fear "_You can! You can!"_ The almost frantic exclamation startled him and the child froze again, his feet were not responding _"Oh great god! I thank you!"_ suddenly, a tall figure appeared In front of the goban, dressed in white clothes, pale skin and long hair, he was smiling with delight and looking at him, he wanted to run, but his legs still refused to move. "Once more….I will come back …again" The man came closer and a swirl of images and sounds came to him, the floor was moving, and his legs were finally moving if just for bending and letting him collapse on the wooden floor.

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The morning came cold and clear, and with it the screams of one Shindo Heihachi and his distraught wife, the sound of steps in the stair woke up the child who whined as his head started spinning. "Hikaru! What in Gods name are you doing here?" The man crouched and took the half-awake child in arms, a small frown appearing in his face at the flushed and sweat covered face. A trembling hand touched the small forehead and hissed "Hikaru what were you thinking? I will call the doctor! don't worry"

"Oh dear!" said his wife and she took the child in her arms cradling him with tenderness.

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"Just a cold, plenty of rest and a lot of fluids and he should be fine in a couple of days" Smiled the doctor and Heihachi smiled in relief. "Thank you for your time sensei, I'm very grateful that you could come so fast."

The young man was calm and polite and Heihachi liked him instantly "It was no problem, if anything changes just call" leaving a prescription in the old man hands he then followed the grandfather to the exit.

"Thank you, I will"

Hikaru opened his eyes, he was very tired and he had a headache, but what startled him was the man at his side, the same man that had appeared in the loft, he whimpered in fear and tried to stand up. "Calm down child! I'm not going to hurt you !" Maybe it was the guilty expression or the soft voice, but the child calmed down and nodded slightly. The man sighed and then smiled gently and bowed "My name is Fujiwara no Sai, and you are?"

"Hikaru" The child's eyes widened when the man nodded, he hadn't spoken out loud! How? "I can hear your thoughts it's not necessary for you to talk, I'm a ghost" the child started trembling again and the man started waving his arms in alarm "But a peaceful one I won't hurt you!" Three panic attacks from both parts later and the pair started "talking" enthusiastically Heihachi entered the room with a tray in his right hand. The child eyes went immediately to the ghost but Sai simply shook his head slowly "He can't hear nor see me, only you can... well, I think... it was like that the last time...".

"Hikaru I brought you some soup, would you like some?" The boy smiled and nodded, now that his fever was gone, he was famished. Heihachi smiled sadly "What in the gods names were you doing up there my boy?" Hikaru stopped eating and squirmed in his seat, his grandpa looked so sad, he didn't like that.

"Maybe you should answer him" Said Sai with a gentle smile, but child simply hung his head. His grandfather sighed with resignation and stood "its fine, I'm not mad Hikaru, I know you don't like to talk but.." He started but then he shook his head lightly "You will talk when you feel like it, don't you?" He said finally and smiled gently, and then he got up and took the half eaten meal with him.

"I will come back later, rest now. Grandma is making some super special remedy for you, so I better go to help her. Sleep well"

"You can't talk?" Asked Sai carefully and the child blushed but didn't answer. He covered himself with the covers and closed his eyes.

Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5

2 years later…

"Like This?"

Autumn came with gentle but cold winds, Shindo Hikaru, now a proud 7 year old was sitting in the middle of the park, staring at the ground. At his side was resting a small mountain of pebbles and small rocks, and in front of him was a 19 x 19 square board made of chalk.

"Exactly!, see? It wasn't that hard! Now let's play!" The child nodded happily and cleared the improvised board. At first, Sai had been heart-stricken when Hikaru had to return with his father. No Goban, no stones, nothing...

It was only after Hikaru's idea of using squared notebooks as a substitute of a board, that they could make some progress, of course then came the agonizingly slow process of teaching a small, increasingly restless boy, the rules and bases of Go. He could only sing praises for the child's grandfather for being able to make some progress.

What had started with tears -most from Sai's part- frustration outbursts -Hikaru's, and nearly ten mayor fights per day, had evolved into a kind of big brother-small brother relationship.

"..Sai?..." Hikaru looked at his brother ghost with a small mischievous smile "I asked my grandpa….and…he said that there is a Go salon near here…"

"No" Said the ghost with a serious gaze, even if his eyes were wistful.

"But!..." The white fan was closed with a dry sound and Sai tried to assume a severe expression "You're in no age to being wandering the streets alone"

"But I won't be alone, you're going with me!" Sai sighed and smiled sadly "Hikaru, you know that if something happens I won't be able to help you….and it doesn't matter if you think otherwise, you still don't know how to travel alone!" The man finished his speech with a firm nod which lost all its power when the eyes of his child started to blur with tears "Hikaru? Don't cry! I'm sure in a few years you will be able to go by yourself"

"But…I want to go now!...because you can only play with me, and it must be boring, and I want you to have fun at least once!" The ghost smiled warmly and a small chuckle escaped his lips.

"Hikaru don't worry….I have eternal time…one, ten years won't matter…I like being with you, and teaching you it's fun in its own way….What about if you ask your grandfather to take you the next time?" He said to try to pacify the child.

Green eyes stared at him with a somewhat panicked gaze "But….if grandpa is there, then you might get discovered, and then he will try to exorcise you! Like he tried with the goban after I fainted!" The ghost paled even more with that memory. It looked that Hikaru wasn't the only one in the Shindo family with a fine perception for spirits, more than once the old man had caught glimpses of him, and after Hikaru had fainted for a second time the man had reached to the conclusion that his dear grandchild was being harassed by evil spirits.

"Mmm but I can watch, and I can stay out of his way…..Don't you worry, now, what would you do if I attacked here?" He could wait.

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Sometimes Heihachi wasn't very happy that Hikaru would talk once more. After three hours of pleading and asking, and lots of big and teary puppy eyes later, his grandpa had agreed to the idea, he took Hikaru to a small salon near his house, the child had bounced like a rabbit all the way; but once inside the building, he didn't speak a word, his selective muteness making an appearance. He sighed, the child just clamped to anyone who wasn't him, his wife or doctor Anko.

"Hey Shindo!" A hoarse voice called, and the child jumped behind his grandfather. A tall man with glasses approached the pair and looked curiously at the child. "Uh…such a small thing, is this the grandson that you speak so much of?" He asked.

"Aye he is, his name is Hikaru, he is my only grandson, he asked me to take him to a go salon but I think he is still a little shy... Hikaru you're not going to say hello?" The child spied behind the gray clad legs once and went hiding again.

The man laughed softly "Well I would be scared too if I was in the middle of a bunch of old geezers, you should have taken him to some Go class or a child's tournament, well…. Hikaru isn't it?, don't worry kid, everybody here is too old or too fat to get you, so don't be afraid, and if someone gives you trouble call for the old Yamato and I'll come! okay?"

"I'm sure there won't be a problem Yamato, Hikaru is just a little shy…"

Forty minutes of introductions, and fussing over the child, later, Heihachi started a game against another man, and where no candy, treat, cookie, smile or joke could succeed, the simple sound of the stones calmed the child, and soon, the battle on the board had the child's attention.

"He sure is a calm child; my own grandson can't stay still even ten minutes!"

Heihachi laughed and looked fondly at his grandson, "Neither can Hikaru, but when Go is concerned he can endure hours, in everything else he is a real tornado" The child seemed oblivious to the comments, the large eyes were just focused on the board, lips moving as if talking to himself, and sometimes nodding to nonexistent commentaries. A young man with eyeglasses approached the table, a curios expression on his face.

"A good game here?" He asked leaning forward "Shirakawa-kun!" Said one of the old men smiling at him "Eh Shindo! This is my grandson; he just became a pro this year! He is doing a favor to his old man and came to teach you lot some tricks so I won't be so bored playing you!". He said with a smile.

"Grandpa!" Said the flustered man, but the rest were laughing "Leave him dream boy! He is just as crappy as the rest of us!" Called out a man in a green shirt. More laughs at the comment followed until a soft voice cut off the jokes.

"Why did the game stop? It's almost done!" The gazes came to the small head still staring at the board.

"Such an impatient boy! Don't worry lad this game will last at least another half hour!" The rest nodded, but the child frowned confused.

"But… It will only last five more moves….maybe eight if black don't resign sooner…"

A few laughed at this, a tall man with a bright green shirt came forward. "Well Shindo, seems like he doesn't cheers for you." "Told you the boy was intelligent!" "Sure he is!" Said the men and Hikaru blushed and hung his head.

"Hikaru! Don't give munitions to this lot against your poor grandpa!" The child nodded hastily but the man reassured him with a pat on his head. "Mmm this is going to last some more….. Hikaru why don't you ask Yamato to give you some magazines…? You said you wanted one of those the other day, and they sell some beginner's books, choose one or two and I'll pay later"

The child's eyes sparkled and nodded following the other man to the counter where a pile of Go's magazines and newspapers were piled up. He never noticed a pair of eyes looking at him with surprise.

Fifteen minutes later a collective mix of groans and cheers announced the end of the game "Je! Looks like the brat is a seer Shindo, you lost!"

"He just was lucky!"

"Na! It was just a fluke! Right Shirakawa?" The pro was looking at the board with a mix of shock and surprise, he smiled nervously and nodded "Yes….I think so…how old is he Shindo-san?"

"Hikaru? Seven just this spring why?"

"N-no is just that he seems very interested in Go, may I play with him?"

"No! Shirakawa-kun you promised to play some Shidougo with us!" Groaned a voice on the background but Yamato came back and slammed a fist on the table silencing the lot "Hey! Shirakawa-kun and the boy are guests so behave!"

Hikaru came back looking at the board and then smiling at the air on his right, but if someone found this strange, no one said it.

Shirakawa came to a crouch in front of the child, smiling gently. "Hello Hikaru, my name is Shirakawa-kun, tell me, would you like to play with me?" The child stared at the man and then at his grandfather who nodded encouragingly "Um….I…y-yes…"

Only then the pro noticed two books clutched strongly in the boy's hands. "Are those the ones you chose? May I see them?"

The child extended the books a little hesitantly as if afraid of losing them "Don't worry I'll return them…mmm….modern Go rules?, the best fifty matches ever? Hikaru aren't this a little too advanced for you? Can you read yet this kanjis?"

The child blushed and shook his head "No, but I can see the kifu, and I can ask grandpa to read me the rules…." The pro nodded if a bit skeptical.

"What about puzzles you know those?, I love them even if I'm a pro. They can be really fun" Said the man and the child answered with a shaky smile.

"Y-yes grandpa bought me a book of those too…." There was a spark of interest in the green eyes, one that interested the pro and made him somehow expectant.

"Great! What about if you resolve some for me?" Without waiting for an answer the man started walking towards a table, behind him the child was looking at the ghost for help.

"Sai?..." Asked the boy as he seated himself. "What is a pro?"

"I don't know…." Said the ghost eyeing the man. Shirakawa seated himself and smiled at the child.

"What if we start with these?" he said placing several stones on the board.

"Sai, do you want to play?" Asked the child while nodding to the other man. Sai looked at the board and declined the offer "No, its fine, you play..."

One hour and several problems later, a large hand shook the child gently "Hikaru it's time say goodbye to Shirakawa-san" The child nodded to his grandpa and bowed to the other man.

"Grandpa! Look at these books! Can I have them? Please?" The old man only gave them a glance not bothering reading the titles "Sure kid, look, the owner gave you these old magazines" He said showing him a large paper bag "enough to keep you occupied some centuries!"

The pair walked out of the saloon chatting softly "He is a nice kid isn't it Shirakawa-kun?" Asked the pro's grandfather. "Shirakawa-kun is something wrong?" He asked then, his grandson was still eyeing the board with a calculating expression.

"Tell me grandpa you know how long Hikaru has been playing?"

"Mmm let's see…I thing about two years ago, Shindo teaches him when the father leaves the kid at his care, the mother, Shindos's daughter in law, passed away and Shindo takes care of the child frequently"

"How often he plays with him?"

"I think…. when he goes visiting his grandfather, I would say twice a week, but sometimes Shindo doesn't see the child that often, he was telling me the other day that he might buy the kid a goban for his birthday! Imagine that! A kid of that age with a goban! He is just going to use it for playing with his cars or something"

"What about Go classes? Is he going to any?" Asked the man ignoring the joke.

"Uh? Classes? No, he doesn't; you see, his father doesn't like the child to spend that much time on the game…Why the sudden interest in the child? Is he that good?" Shirakawa nodded, and signaled a small group of stones in a corner signaling a resolved puzzle. "That problem….advanced Insei kids would be having trouble resolving this, but it only took that child about ten minutes….he is more than good…is Shindo-san a very good player?"

"Shindo? Well he is fine I guess….he won a few tournaments a few years ago, nothing extraordinary, a little better than Yamato but not by much…you have played Yamato right?"

"Just a little stronger?... he doesn't have a pro as a master… only two years…and once a week…God!"

"You think he could be an Insei? Or a Pro?, Shindo would be bouncing with joy! He sure loves the brat!"

"A pro…yes maybe…yes he has talent and a lot of enthusiasm….Would you mind calling me when he comes? If I'm not too busy I would like to come once in a while and teach him some things, he has talent but lacks of some basic knowledge…then we will see about the Insei thing.."

"Sure thing, Shindo is a good player, but a very bad teacher, if the kid is as good as you said then he needs all the help he can get, don't worry I'll call you"

Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5

Six months later an excited Shirakawa appeared in front of Shindo Heihachi's house, he had asked about a child of Hikaru's age to enter the Insei program, and while there was no rule against it, there weren't many children who could pass the exam at that age…

After knocking several times and waiting two hours finally an old lady appeared on the house by the left. "Are you looking for Shindo-san dear?"

"Um yes my Name is Shirakawa Kudo sorry to bother you, Is Shindo san not at home?"

The old lady gave a sad sigh and shook his head heavily "So you don't know? I'm sorry dear, but he is no longer with us…you see….. There was an incident a few weeks ago; it was in the middle of the night. It's a calm neighborhood so nobody really expected for this…" The old lady looked in mourning at the house and continued in a sad tone.

"Nobody heard a thing, but Youko from next door saw some people leaving the house in the night, and she told his husband. Shindo-san never has visitors in the night… so they were worried, and the door was left open…so they went inside…and found Shindo-san….they called the cops… the police thinks that it was a robbery." Shirakawa was starting to sweat at the words, he had knew the old man for a long time, and the words were making him feel an horrible dread. " Shindo-san…oh God!…he was tied to a chair…..death, a heart attack they said, his wife was also dead someone pushed her down the stairs..."

A teardrop appeared in the woman left eye, which she hasty dried, she was looking at him in a sad and heavy way.

"They found the child at her side…. he would not say a thing ….poor thing….the father came three days later, he was in a business trip."

The notice came crashing at the man and he found himself feeling weak on the knees, his grandpa had told him about the mother's boy dying when the child was five…and now this… "Excuse me…is there a way to contact Shindo-san's son?"

"Umm no dear I don't know, you see he moved, I think he got a new job…in China I think…"

REVISED 24 05 11! I'm so proud of myself


	2. To let a star die

Author notes

ACLARATIONS ABOUT THE PLOT:

() Hikaru is not talking….at least out loud, the conversations with Sai are…. Mind-spirit? You know… just in his head… (And no, he is not crazy!)

About the muteness…

1.-Hikaru was kind of shocked when his mother died, but with the help of his grandpa and Sai's appearance he was recovering. BUT the death of his grandpa had a very negative effect (**and what happened on that night**) on him and his father trying to deal with his own grief is pushing Hikaru away. I'm not trying to make the father a villain, he is just grieving and in the meanwhile he is thinking that Hikaru just needs some space and time. Like just letting a plant grow and hope that it becomes all beautiful by its own….…

2.-Hikaru will not be talking until VERY later…I'm sure it will a challenge because Hikaru in Manga and anime NEVERS shut actually I think is his mouth the cause of many of the things that happens to him….(…What I've got myself into…..T.T). Now there will be two mayor events making him to talk again… (No, I'm not telling!)

3.-For those worried about Hikaru-Akira yes he is appearing, and yes they are going to be rivals…but under strange circumstances….

4.-Again I ask forgiveness for my English it's not my mother language but hopefully it's going to get acceptable (I Hope….) And I'll make my best to make this readable…

Arigatou for your attention!

**Chapter 02: "_To let a star die_"**

The City of Beijing was famous for its miscellaneous conformation, new and old mixed together, some parts were crowded with so many buildings that backstreets and real streets often were identical, a maze to the unfortunate to navigate them without the necessary knowledge.

"_Hikaru maybe we should get back…..?"_

_"No"_

_"Hikaru we have been walking for two hours. WE.ARE.LOST!"_

_"We aren't lost….we just are…um…somewhere else…"_ The eight year old said with not much conviction. The buildings were getting older and dirtier the more they walked. _"Ummm…Sai…maybe….maybe we are just a little misplaced…"_

The ghost looked at him blankly "_Okay! Very. Completely Lost!"_ Cried out the child in his head, his lips never once separating. The bundle in his arms was cradled more close to his chest, that being the reason of his escapade.

_"Sai…maybe we should return, I can always use some glue…and we can get back to use paper…"_ Said Hikaru. The Ghost looked at him and then at the precious package, it was too important to Hikaru to only be glued…they had come that far, and probably the shop wasn't too far away….

"_We must be close…. Are you just giving up now? What you grandpa would have said?"_

The child looked hurt but then he smiled lightly "_He would say, "Hikaru you little brat a man should always carry his promises!" and then he would smile…"_

"_Then he is right! Come on! We must continue!"_ The child nodded and Sai smiled. He was amassed at the strength of the child…those very first weeks had been pure hell, him not being able to physically comfort the small child, the nightmares he could not dispel, the silent tears he could not dry, and his own anger at Hikaru's father for only leaving the boy on the apartment and later return late or not even returning for days, a piece of paper on the kitchen the only warning.

"_Sai!"_ Two angry green eyes were focused on him, he smiled at that, it was nice to see his boy expressing some emotions…even if only with him… "_Are you laughing at me?!"_ Cried the boy getting redder and the ghost waved his arms trying to pacify the child _"No, no! Sorry Hikaru"_

"Hey you!" A voice from a door made the duo stop their fighting, a teenager stood there, looking at Hikaru with a calculating gaze "What are you doing brat? You're lost?"

Hikaru looked at him and just shook his head, but the other's smile just got wider "So you ARE lost…well I know very well this part of the city I could give you a tour….Have some money?"

_"Hikaru let's go, just ignore him_" Said the ghost and the child tried to leave, but the teenager was in front of him in no time.

"Hey little rat I asked you a question, so you better answer….so, Have money?…mmm what's that?" He said pointing to the bundle on the child's arms "What about this, You give me whatever you have in there, and your money, and I will let you go without punching you, refuse, and I will take all your things and give you a great beat. Sooo which one you choose?"

The child stared at him in fright _"Sai…Sai…"_

The other boy smirked "So the beat is it!" A hand came to Hikaru trying to grab him _"Hikaru run!"_ Screamed at the same time Sai, and the child sprinted; running with no direction the other at his heels.

_"Sai!_" Called the child in panic. The other one was so close he could almost feel his hand at his back, they entered a market and the child dodged the people, his heart beating furiously. Somebody was screaming, he turned a corner and found himself in a dead end, a dirty blind alley, the frantic eyes scanned the area for a way to escape. A door in the building at the left, he grabbed the handle and pushed and the door opened but only slightly; something was blocking the entrance!.

"There you are you stupid scum!" The child slide into the small gap and promptly fell down a stair only to land in a pool of dirty water, he could hear the other boy cursing and trying to open the door, but he stayed there immobilized by the fear and the pain on his back, then the screams and curses stopped and the only sound left was the drip of the water.

"_Are you alright_?!" Asked Sai and crouched at his side whispering reassurances at the child. Hikaru was still gasping for breath and his eyes were dry, but wide and bright with fear.

"Who's there! I'll call the police!" Sounds of small steps filling the place and then there was light, they were in a kind of basement. On the door stood a very old man; a cane grasped firmly in his left hand. The child stared at him in terror and the old man stared back.

"In the name of all gods! Child are you fine?!" The man approached limping and Hikaru made a small sound at the back of his throat and tried to bend himself in a ball but stopped when pain shoot in his back. The man grabbed him gently and carried him with an ease not proper of his age.

"Don't worry kid I won't hurt you, you fell all down the stairs?" He left the boy on a bed and started checking him for injuries "I used to be a healer so don't worry, does this hurts?" He said moving one leg and the child winced and buried his face in the pillow.

Half an hour later the child was in the bed his left leg completely covered in bandages, the same as his back, the elder was at his side rubbing a smelly past in some bruises in his arms "Almost fourteen steps! You're a lucky one, not even one broken bone!" The child snorted but didn't even winced when the man rubbed a pretty nesting bruise on his elbow "And a brave one! Most grown men would be weeping for his mama by now!... What happened? how did you fall into my basement?"

Hikaru looked at him but didn't responded, some words he could understand but complete sentences were out of his reach… he was more reading the man's body language that anything.

"Is because of that?" said the old man pointing at a square package at the bedside, it was badly wrapped in some cloth and was wrenched in water "Did you steal it?" Asked the man with an accusatory gaze. The child tried to get up and scowled with indignation "Okay! Calm down I get it, you didn't stole it! Calm down kid!".

"_Stop it you're going to hurt yourself more!"_ Whispered Sai and the child stopped struggling, and looked at the ghost with fear and sadness "_Sai….I was so scared…and now…I won't be able to fix it!"_

Sai smiled at him _"You did what you could…he would have understood…now let this man tend to your wounds okay?"_

The old man stared at the child with a small frown and then sighed. Hikaru extended his left arm again as if giving is permission for the torture to continue.

"….So…for you to have fall down the stairs like that…was somebody chasing you?" He said trying to speak slowly. A hesitant nod was his answer.

"Aha…was because of that package? Were they trying to take it away from you?" Another nod and a look of fear passed into the child's face.

"Don't worry, they won't find you here….this things are happening a lot lately… a bunch of brats are robbing and causing problems, nothing too serious but still…." The child nodded and wrapped his arms around himself and looked at the bundle sadly. The old man took it in his arms.

"Did you need to take this to somebody? Was it a gift to someone?" The package was bended in an odd shape signaling that it was broken. The child saw this and his eyes blurred with unshed tears. And the man squirmed "You know…I repair antiques and stuff, just for fun….. But I'm pretty good with these old hands…maybe I can fix this"

The small boy looked at him hopefully and nodded eagerly and the old man chuckled "Not a very talkative boy, are you?" He started unwrapping the package and revealed what seemed a splint broken by half, he examined the pieces and recognized a foldable goban, it seemed very used and the lines were beginning to fade, the cheap wood was scrapped at the corners.

"Umm…yes it can be repaired but maybe you should buy another one…these are cheap and there are more bigger ones" The pieces were snatched of his hands by a fuming child, his eyes were burning with defiance, as if daring him to even try to damage further his treasure.

"So…this board seems to be very important for you, do you play go?" The boy nodded a little hesitantly and the man smiled at him "Let's make a deal then. I fix this up and you play with this old man a game what about that?" The child nodded and closed his eyes.

The old man seated himself in a small table and grabbed a small piece of sandpaper and started to work on the rouge parts of the old wood, working with small and slow movements, the sound soothing to the child's ears, he fell asleep very soon. The old man kept working with the same small pace once in a while stopping to inspect his work "Does the child know that you're trailing him?"

The question was spoken so softly that Sai almost missed it; he gaped at the man completely taken by surprise _"Can you see me?"_

_"_Yes I can…the child knows? You don't seem to be from this age, and you two don't look alike; so I don't think you're related…." Stated the man never once tearing his eyes of his work and Sai shifted a little uncomfortable. "_No, we are not….well, really I don't know why he was the one who found me, but he did, we have been together since then."_

"Ah…so why are you still here exactly?"

Sai was a little unnerved at the man; he wasn't accustomed to being talk to without eye contact. "_I was a go player long time ago…I died in disgrace and God gave me a second chance. I met a child, his name was Torajiro; he let me play again and together we played many games, but then he died at a young age from illness and I waited again until one day I met this child…Why am I here?... To accomplish the hand of God…"_

The old man's movements stopped and he looked straight at the ghost "The hand of God? ..…yes I've heard of it, a friend of mine told me about it…. so you think God gave you this opportunity for that purpose alone?" Asked the man and Sai felt his irritation raising a notch at the tone of the man.

_"Yes of course! It's my destiny! I love go above everything! For years, ever since my childhood I've been searching for it! No matter how long or how hard the search is I will surely find it!"_ Said Sai with conviction, but the man only arched a brow and returned to his work.

"Yes I can see that much…however I don't think that god's plans are that simple, you said you had a second chance; you played again to your hearts content, and yet you resurged in this time, at the side of this child, maybe there is something you didn't grasped the last time?"

"_I…what other purpose there could be? There isn't anything more important or anything that I desire more_…"

The man stopped working again and gave the ghost a hard gaze "Then I think that maybe you should wait another ten lives….somehow I don't think that god concedes whims, at least not without a more profound intention, if your divine move could be achieved just by keep playing and by just one person alone, I think that it would had been discovered long ago…after all doesn't go needs more than one player?"

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"Hikaru, I'm off! Don't stay all day in front of the TV…..and no go after twelve!" Shindo Masao said without looking at his son; who was sprawled in the couch, reading a comic book in Chinese. He sighed, Hikaru had grasped the language so fast… if only the same had happened with the friends…. Well, he would only give more time to the boy; it had worked just fine the last time….

"Take care, and have dinner early this time, if you need anything call me to my cell phone, but ONLY if is an emergency; I have a huge presentation." Without one more word the door closed softly and Hikaru peered behind his only and one comic, one would guess that after always seeing him with the same comic he would at least ask about it... but he didn't….he never asked anything….

Shrugging Hikaru got up tossing the comic to the table, he looked at it, noting that the cover was about to fall apart…. He would need to get a new one…

_"Sai let's go, today we must go with Mr. Lian"_ Said Hikaru putting on a gray jacket, it had the logo of the company his father worked for, and Hikaru for some reason hated that jacket. He simply felt uncomfortable with it but the others were to colorful or noticeable…and he had to pass THAT street unnoticed…

"_Sai!"_ called Hikaru again, the ghost was sitting in a corner staring into space…

_"We must...?"_ Asked Sai in a whisper and Hikaru had to reevaluate his opinion, Sai was sulking.

"_Yes, we must! He fixed grandpa's board and he cured me! And he is very nice Sai. I still don't know why you dislike him so much! You don't even speak at all when we go there…"_ With a firm nod Hikaru signaled the door and Sai glared half heartily at him.

The child peered at the empty corridor and sighed when he found it desert, he had always fantasized about finding somebody at the corridor; they would stop him and ask him something and then….. His fantasies always stopped at that point, he was half curios, and half terrified of what would be next…. But he never found anyone, he was always sure there was not a soul before coming out.

Satisfied of the emptiness of the building, he adjusted the black cap on his head and as silently as he could he closed the door.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"My child! It's good to see you. I was beginning to though you wouldn't come today" Said the Chinese before letting the panting child pass. Hikaru put his hands together in a silent apology and the man just waved it off and the child smiled lightly.

Once Hikaru had entered the man gave Sai a light nod of recognition and the ghost gave back one more stiffly and entered the house his head high. It wasn't that he didn't liked the man, but those first words had been engraved in him.

Later they had discovered that Lian Hsiao was a very good Go player and a very kind person, his house was a small two bedroom kind, with a small basement at the back. While the first room contained the bathroom and bedroom, the second was a strange mixture of a improvised clinic and a workshop; with a wall covered in remedies, bandages and medic supplies and a small bed aside, and a table for restoration. He fixed everything from broken vases and plates to furniture, leaving them better than before.

Lian was an appreciated old man, and every day somebody would come into his house; for a favor or just for small chat and occasionally for a go game, he seemed to have a great lot of good friends, but at the same time he had an air of loneliness wrapped around him.

But what had called to Hikaru had been his silent acceptance of his muteness, he was fairly sure that the man knew he wasn't really mute, but never asked anything or frowned when he didn't responded, he asked things always like "how are you today? And How's school?" without expecting a real answer.

Hikaru positioned himself on a bench in front of a small coffee table; on top of it an old goban stood proudly, it was a real antiquity from what Lian had told him. "_Sai you're not playing again_?" Asked Hikaru, but Sai merely refused with a small bow.

_"You should play….after all it's not everyday that you get the chance to play someone than me….you really should play…"_ Said Hikaru but Sai stayed silent.

"Say kid, you love go right?" Asked Lian and Hikaru nodded eagerly "Sooo….once in a while I go to a friend's work place…no, work place is such a bad way to put it…I think it should be better to call it his sanctuary. But he is just like you, a kid with an obsession for this!" Said Lian pointing to the board "He is the one Who taught me to play and I come back once in a while just to try to beat him...but I don't think that's going to happen, every time I go he just beats me faster than the last time…… want to come with me, it will be also an opportunity for you to learn to travel by train."

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Hikaru looked awed at the room, tables and tables lined up were almost the only furniture in the place, each one with a board on top. The friend of Lian resulted to be a young boy named Yang Hai he had been a pro for a year and apparently a distant relative of Lian.

"This is where all this group of crazy people; who call themselves pros by the way, practices in." Said Lian, however his speech was ignored, the child was too busy with inspecting the room, the teenager at his side was staring with curiosity at the small child. "Hey who's the shrimp? Is he your grandson or something?" Asked Yang and Lian smiled proudly.

"Yes he is! He is my dear grandson, and also the one who will beat you in my name!" Said Lian poking the teen with a bony finger, who only smiled back "Are you sure he even knows how to play?"

In that moment a small blur passed them and hid behind Lian, who looked surprised at the child "What's wrong child?" asked concerned the old man but a whine was his only answer, looking at the room he searched for the source of the child's discomfort, only finding a small crowd looking at them…. it seemed that the child was really, really shy.

"Yang may I introduce you my beloved and brand new grandson umm….Li! Yeah Li sounds fine…" Hikaru and Yang looked at him as if he was crazy "What? You don't like it?" Hikaru stared at him and hesitated, he had know the man for nearly four months…he had been very kind to him, teaching him proper Chinese and never once pushing him to talk back or asking anything…he seemed to understand him better than he did himself.

But still…a new name? he liked his name….his mother had give it to him….and his grandpa…but he liked this place, there were a lot of people playing and wasn't too far for his home…maybe he could come and watch…and maybe, just perhaps play…once or twice….but then people would start asking things, his family, his name, and his father already didn't like him to spend so much time playing….

Finally he nodded and smiled accepting his new name…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

_"WAKE UUUUP_ !"

"_WAAAAAA!"_ Hikaru's body crashed with the floor and then he started searching frantically for his attacker a pillow in hand A slightly red Ghost was in front of him his arms crossed and glaring. _"It's LATE, your father has been gone for nearly and hour! And we are going to be late!"_

The still sleepy Hikaru blinked at the ghost, trying to understand what he was talking about. "_What? Where_?" He asked dumbly still half sleep. Small tears of frustration started to appear in Sai's eyes and Hikaru covered his ears in a failed attempt to cover the imminent cry of: ""_TO THE GO ASSOCIATION!"_

"_Yeah…yeah coming….I don't see what is so different today, we always go there and not this early._." Said Hikaru glaring at the clock, then he remembered Yang's promise. _"Ah! I know! You're excited about the game Yang mentioned!"_

Small flames of excitement flared in Sai eyes and he nodded, Hikaru smiled and then took a deep breath "_So you also must remember …."_ He said very softly _"THAT THE GAME STARTS AT TWO PM! IT'S 7 IN THE MORNING!"_

Sai looked at the clock….and wriggled his hands nervously "_Eh…yes…. little early but I Though that maybe we could play with someone before the game…"_ The child sighed, sometimes Sai's obsession was a little tiring… "_I don't understand you….when we are there you get all excited and happy but then you refuse to play, when I tell you to, and the few times you actually play you never….it's just not the way….it's not like when you play me…. Weaker…"_

_"Handicapped Hikaru, never weaker…."_ Responded Sai in a low voice "_And don't you do the same?...you never play at your fullest."_ The child blushed and stared out of the window "_You saw what happened the first times…when I won they got all awed and started asking and they wanted me to make some exam….I don't like to get stared at Sai…I just want to play…I don't want to become a pro…"_

Sai looked at the child and nodded. At first he also had been very excited, but then Hikaru had started playing, at eight years he was much better than Torajiro had been….Sai could see his potential, the same way he could see how the child hated the attention.

And that was the reason Sai didn't play at his fullest, if a eight year old would exhibit such abilities it was bound to attract attention, and then Hikaru would stop playing….the very Hikaru had told him that once…

Flashback

_"Sai…Why won't you play like you always do?"_ had asked Hikaru one day and Sai had just smiled at him "_You could tell?"_ The child nodded and Sai sighed _"It's called self-handicap Hikaru…you don't want people fussing over you like that first time right?"_ The eight years old shook his head vigorously and Sai smiled _"I though as much…."_

_"…Maybe….maybe you should play!"_ Said Hikaru in a rush _"You love go more than me, and you told me that your objective was to obtain the divine move…..and you're much better than me….maybe you should play…."_

Sai stared at the small child, the offer was tempting. When he first had encountered Hikaru he had just assumed that the child would always let him play, why would he refuse?...but then he hadn't expected a broken child, so he had waited, his time would come, he had waited a millennium, one, ten years couldn't compare.

Then that horrible night he had seen the child breaking once more, and this time there was no grandpa who could embrace the child. As a spirit there was so much he could do, only words, so he had told the child tales from his own childhood, he had used the go to make the child stand up again, to keep him walking. He could wait, his search could wait a little more…

And then he had started to get glimpses on the child's true value, a sharp mind, fast to grasp new concepts, eagerly to try and learn, fearless if only while playing, and overall his increasing love and passion for the game. For Hikaru, the game was a link to his past, to his happiness, the only way the child could vent his emotions freely….. And he was offering to let the ghost play instead of him……Hikaru knew that even if Sai played trough him that would not make him stop playing as well, but if Sai and Hikaru played the people would notice even more, and they would start asking questions…

"_Sai?"_ Green eyes bored into him and in that moment Sai knew he would not be taking the child place…how could he take away from the child the last thing that was keeping him on his feet? The child was growing, and his potential…. even if he didn't want to play at his current age; that would change…the thirst for a challenging match…

_"It's fine Hikaru…playing like this…with you, with everybody is enough, I'm learning just by seeing…this game has changed so much…I still have so much to learn… I'm happy Hikaru, I like being and playing with you"_ Said Sai and he was amazed at how true those words really were.

-end of flashback

"_SAI!"_ The scream pulled him out of his memories Hikaru was in the door wearing the black cap and grey jacked "_Are you coming or not?!"_

_"Ah Hikaru wait! DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND!"_

And Sai was also amazed at how his chest hurt at those words…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"Shrimp! You're early! Don't tell me, the world has come to an end! Oh dear gods have mercy of all us!"

Hikaru glared at Yang and tried to kick him but the teen eluded him expertly, all their encounters were the same, Yang trying to rile up the child or to make him talk. Bribery, blackmail, adulation, candy, jokes, pleading, fake tears, threats of death…none of them had worked, and generally only gained him a kick or a punch.

"Sooo Shrimp, are you going to take the exam yet?" That was another thing, ever since discovering the child talent he had started pushing the kid to make an especial pro-examination. But the child seemed not even interested in it, he was very passionate about the game, but the titles and being a pro seemed of little interest for him.

The child glared again and seated himself in a chair in front of the goban, and grabbed the black stones and looked at the teen expectantly. The other chuckled and seated himself "You know, you could be a little gentler to me, your big-bro, after all I'm always looking after you!"

The child raised one brow as is mocking him and Yang chuckled again "Brat".

The game started and the silence became almost absolute, Yang frowned at the board, the child was good, maybe even good enough to become a pro with a little more experience, but sometimes his game was weird, the child would make simple mistakes that at the end made the difference between winning and losing. Such mistakes were normal for a child of such age, but at the same time, the rest of his game was flawless, and those mistakes were only made when the child got ahead…as if making them on purpose… but a child of such age….to control his own game that way… no, it wasn't possible, according to Lian the child didn't have a master, perhaps his father?.

"Well shrimp are you going to defeat me today or not?" Asked the teen grinning and Hikaru glared at him and then he hung his head. From all the things that Yang used to tell him that phrase was the only one that affected him; ever since the first day Lian had trusted to Hikaru his dream of defeating Yang.

The game continued and ended as always; Yang defeating the child by a small margin, only 3.5 moku.

Sai was irritated, he couldn't describe the feeling or his reason, but he was seriously pissed off, every time Hikaru restrained himself …yes he was really, really pissed off.

"Ajá…I win Li! Uh! look at the time, we should go now….the game should be starting soon" Said Yang and Hikaru nodded and followed the other one.

They entered a small room with two televisions and a large table with several chairs, three gobans rested on top of the table.

"This is a room were we can watch the match, it's a very important game so not everybody can watch it in live…" Said Yang and pulled a chair for the child "Here, this is the best place, we use this boards for recreating the game as it goes"

Hikaru stared at the screen in front of him, it was the image of a board but nothing else, a few minutes later several people entered the room, some of them greeting Yang and giving the child curios glances. The game was one of a level Hikaru had never seen, each move holding a profound meaning, and as each stone was placed the child would feel more anxious, death, life, captured stone, connecting here and there…

Yang was explaining the moves, and once in a while someone else would make a comment. "Uh, uh…I think that was a terrible mistake, Jao isn't going to fall for that…" Said an old man at the right of Hikaru and Yang nodded "Yeah….I think the game is decided…"

Hikaru looked at the board and at the last stone…..it was in a vulnerable position, ready to be taken….a group at the right side stood silently…if white were to capture the lonely stone then black would capture a great portion of white's territory it was clearly a trap, a very simple one….

That black stone….. _"Sai….you think….this stone…"_ Said Hikaru and the ghost nodded silently signaling the left size "_Yes…that stone holds a significance much more profound, if taken it will cause a great damage…but if ignored its going to decide the outcome of this game…"_

Hikaru stared at the stone, such brilliance in one move, could he do the same? In ten, maybe twenty years? Could he make such a brilliant universe with his own hands?

"Well that's it" Said Yang standing up and Hikaru looked at the screen, a head appeared over the board signaling his surrender, and the child frowned, it was black. Why! Black could win! Why!

"Yes, such a painful mistake, I think Mao couldn't take the pressure. Well, after all he is getting too old, maybe it's time for him to retire" Said a young man also standing up, everybody else were clearing the boards and leaving the room.

"Well I think I should congratulate Jao, Are you coming Yang?" Said the same man and Yang nodded "Yeah in a moment. Let's go shrimp they're going to discuss the game, o maybe you prefer to go home….?"

Hikaru nodded absently and Yang ruffled his hair "Yeah I know how you feel, it had been such a great game until that move….well mistakes like that occurs even to pros, don't break your little head over it. See you tomorrow?"

Another nod and Yang sighed exasperated; the room was left in complete silence, only a child and a spirit in it "_Sai….why? It was such a good move, why did he let it die?"_

The ghost smiled gently and signaled the board _"Each one of this stones has the possibility of became a brilliant move…..each one holds it's own light, however they can't do it alone….and at the end the only one who can make them live and shine is the one holding them, sometimes, one stone is ready to become a brilliant star…. but the eyes of the one holding it are too blind to notice, and so the stone looses it's chance….we can't do anything because we're not the one holding them."_

The child nodded sadly, such a loss…

"_That's why you won't play again like you did today_" Hikaru stared at the ghost not understanding "_What?"_

_"Today…and yesterday, and every game before that… making those pitiful mistakes, restraining yourself, killing your own game… it's much more worse that what happened here. You are killing your go Hikaru_." Finished Sai, and the child gaped at him, it wasn't the same, and his games could not be compared to this one…

"_Every game, every single one of them have a meaning. If I handicap myself it won't hinder my ability, my go is already mature, and any hardship will only make it stronger. It will make me use new strategies…. but your go Hikaru is still brand new, is tender and molding himself, if you keep learning but at the same time restrain your ability it will become weak and full of flaws, and then it will be too late to do anything_…"

Hikaru looked again at the board and at the lonely stone that had been left to die.

"_That's why I don't want you to play that kind of go anymore, we will find a go salon or a club if you don't like playing here, and you will be playing against me with no more handicap, I've been too soft to you until now, its enough!...you want to play this kind of go don't you?" _Said the man signaling the abandoned board and Hikaru nodded "_I do…I want to be able to create a board like this….with my own hands…"_

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

1 and half years later…

"Hikaru….do you remember our house in Japan?" Asked Masao one night over dinner, and extraordinary occurrence by itself, since the man usually never was at home that early. The child stopped eating not liking those words.

"Well….you see, the company has decided to cut the project early….and well, we are going back to Japan. Isn't that great?" Said the man with a wide smile and the child stared at him. Moving to Japan? After almost three years? To leave Lian and Yang and everybody again? To be left alone again?

Hikaru kept staring at his father, too stunned to even move "Yeah I know! I also was very surprised! They cut almost half a year, really! But I think it's for the better, over there is much more calmer and maybe you can get the chance to know more children of your age, it's not good for you to spend so much time in old shops with strange old men and running alone in those streets.!"

Tears welled in the child's eyes but he did not cry, he just hung his head and clenched his hand, he wanted to yell and rage but he knew that at the end his father would not listen to him, he never did after all.

"Hikaru stop that! You should be happy to go back, you were such a happy kid there, I think it was a mistake to bring you here, but it doesn't matter now, were going back at last! How I miss real Japanese food…. HIKARU WHERE ARE YOU GOING!"

But the child was running as fast as his legs would carry him, he needed to see Lian!

Two years of navigating the streets had taught him all the shortcuts of the area, so it was no more than ten minutes later that he found himself in front of Lian's door, he banged the door so hard that his hand hurt.

"Coming already! Stop it you're going to destroy my poor door!" Yelled Lian and opened the old door, only to find himself with an armful of a ten year old. "Li? What's wrong?" Asked the old man and the child started sobbing. He felt cold inside.

"Li my child … do you want to spend here the night?" The child started crying then, full wrenching sobs and wines. He held the child and stared at the ghost in front of him asking in silence for an explanation. Sai looked at the sky ignoring the inquiry, it was so clear…so blue, so wrong…. How could the sky be so bright when a child was so sad?

They rarely had a day so clear in Beijing…..he felt so sad… his little brother would be suffering again….

Lian held the child for large hours until the small body went limp with exhaustion; he then gently tucked the boy in bed and seated himself at his side.

"What happened?" Asked the man while looking at the child, but Sai knew he was asking him. "Was the father?"

Sai sighed and nodded "_We are returning…to Japan_" he clarified and the man nodded

"_He didn't ask… he just announced the news, and then he started voicing his complains; his dislike to his son's liking for Go...the lack of friends his age… the child got pretty upset, he is very afraid of being alone, but his father doesn't understands that…once again he will have to face the lose of somebody precious to him……"_

The man nodded and brushed a strand of hair from the child's forehead "Yes…of course he is….so small, yet his soul is so old already…. that's why I don't like you being with him all day…" The ghost looked surprised at his admission "..Children are new beings…very delicate and surprisingly strong at times….but they don't posses the strength that the experience gives…they must learn for themselves…this child is not an exception. He has already lost a great part of his childhood…..I was afraid that you would attempt to rob him from another…".

Said cringed slightly and looked at the child "_I just….want to be near him, I want to protect him…to help him grow…but also keep my search…"_

"Maybe you should just look for another host then, this child has a long way to go before being fine or strong enough to be standing by his own, watching and helping such grow it's a full time job, one that a person already with a task can't take. Your divine move… could you give that up?"

"_Yes! If I have anything is time! If it is for Hikaru's sake ….then I can wait a little more!"_ Whispered Sai furiously, gripping his fan tightly. "I can wait!"

Lian chuckled and smiled for the first time at the ghost "Well, then you're not as bad as I had though, maybe there's still hope for you…to love a game above everything is fine, but to turn a blind eye to other things, to ignore a gift from heaven….that is something I can't ignore…what's your name kid?"

Sai stared at the man, here he was this tiny wrinkled man, smiling at him patronizingly and calling him a child, he ought to be angry, but instead he felt warm inside "_Fujiwara-no-Sai, it's a pleasure to met you_" He answered bowing deeply, and the men chuckled again "So… when you aren't sulking you are actually a very polite young man" A vein pulsed in Sai's forehead at the commentary. He never sulked!. "My wife would have loved to meet you both….she was such a nice lady…take care of him Fujiwara-no-Sai, for some reason you two were bonded, if you take care of him….then I have a feeling that, that move of yours will be more easy to grasp…"

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"Jin maybe you should get back now to your home…"Said Lian at he child, they were in front of the go institute, he had let the child spend the night at his house and had planned to send the child home; but when the kid woke up, he immediately grabbed the old man and practically dragged him to the go association. He had send the father a letter with another man of the neighborhood explaining how he had found the child wandering alone the streets, and how he had given him shelter from the night, finally promising to send the child safe at the next day.

_"Hikaru he is right! Your father is going to freak out, what are we doing here?"_ Asked Sai but the child didn't give sign to have even listened. Once inside Hikaru dragged the old man to the game room, it was still early, but the place was already full of people. Intimidated the child stopped, but then, he found what he had been looking and continued walking.

Yang Hai looked surprised at the child and the old man approaching his table, while the child was as common sight in the room, to see that pair was very rare. "Well shrimp did you fell off the bed?" Asked Yang with a grin and then greeted cheerfully the old man "Lian! You have been too absent lately it's been almost a month since the last time I saw you….OH! I know! You little scoundrel who's the girl ah?"

The child got red in the ears but didn't even try to reply, instead he seated himself in front of the young man and grabbed a bowl of stones asking silently for a game.

Yang was now pretty surprised. When he had first met the child he had been amazed at his ability, then he became confused with his strange way to play, but before he could get an answer to his questions the child had stopped playing; he still would go from time to time, but he just watched the games and discussions, or asked silently to him to explain some kifu, but he never played him or anyone. And now he was asking him for a game, with a deadly serious expression that didn't belong to such a young face.

He looked at Lian for an explanation but the old man only shrugged. The child stared at him and Yang nodded gravely, this wasn't a friendly match; this child was challenging him.

"Well, then Li…nigiri"

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Hikaru stared at the airplane in fright, his father was talking to another man and discussing something of business, Sai was looking curiously at a woman with a bag with small wheels. And he was downright terrified. He didn't want to return! The voice of a woman announced a series of departures and his father grabbed his shoulder shaking him lightly.

"That's our flight Hikaru, let's go" The child nodded and followed the man.

_"Don't worry Hikaru the giant bird won't fall, that man over there was telling his companion that is more probable to die in a bungee jump that in a plane…. Hikaru, what is a Bungee jump_?"

The child chuckled and felt a little better, Sai was by his side, he wasn't alone, his dear friend was with him …..Like he would always be…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY GONE!"

"I mean that he is no longer here, that his presence in this city came to an end, that…"

"I understand what you mean by gone, but when! Where he went !"

Yang was at Lian's house, he had been searching for the child only to find him missing. "For the last time Yang I don't know were he went, or if he will come back o when if."

"Could you at least give me his father's name? A way to contact him?" Pleaded Yang and the man stared at him "And why do you suppose that I know his name?"

"Why do I supp…. ISN'T HE YOUR GRANDSON!" Yelled Yang loosing the last of his patience.

"Honorary Grandson" He corrected "and no, I never knew his real name, or his father's I never cared about such silly details, he is a nice kid who is my friend, that's all I need to know"

"But…but…he defeated me!" Said Yang dropping himself on the bed "No he didn't just defeated me…he crushed me completely! Don't you understand? That child must become a pro!"

"Oh? And why he must become just anything?" Asked Lian and the other man grunt in frustration.

"Because the child is a bloody prodigy! Imagine what he could become if he were to play against the better, to learn from them!" Explained the man but Lian merely shrugged.

"Well if he is as good as you said he is without being a pro I don't know why the rush of making him one, if he were interested I'm sure he would had become one long ago." Stated Lian and pulled out a broken wood statue and started examining it, Yang stared at the man and frowned completely frustrated, he had just discovered an amazing kid and then he had disappeared just as fast…

"Ah Yang by the way, I think you have to give me something?" Said Lian with a wide grin and Yang just stared at him "What are you talking about?"

"The bet, the bet, Hikaru won soo…You. Must. Pay." Sing songed the old man and Yang groaned.

Far away a plane arrived to the international airport of Tokyo with 126 passengers and a ghost.


	3. The first chase

About some questions…

Hikaru, has most children of that age (3-10) are in the time of their lives in which grasping new abilities especially a new language or playing an instrument becomes if not simple a lot easier than it could be for a full grown person, the reason is because at that age the brain synapses (the communication between one neuron and another) which is what gives our abilities and capacities, are still forming and shifting, that's the reason because the children are taught languages while young, and why for us grown up people becomes so difficult. (Too confusing explanation?)

He isn't deaf nor blind, therefore he can listen and watch. Being in an ambient where everyone only speak Chinese, it becomes fundamental to learn fast, for a child who moves to another country it usually takes no more than a few months to grasp the language.

About school, the same thing, he does not have any limitation other than not talking by his own choice, usually children who are mute but can hear and see perfectly are send to school the same way any other, if you are living in USA you must remember that the level of specialization of schools there are not the same in every country, problems that do not hinder a child to actually learn would not cause so much fuss over. The thing is that probably someone tried to speak to him or his father, and as I explained before Hikaru's father (like a great proportion of Japanese fathers and also around the world) is too busy working to really take too much attention to his child, also the muteness is result of events he likes to forget, pretending that everything is normal would be less difficult and painful.

Now. In his new school…..you just will have to wait….(evil grin)

About the lateness….well what can I say SCHOOL, finals, etc, puaj...I'm currently on vacations so hopefully I can update more fast.

**Chapter 3: The First chase  
**  
Three…four….no, definitely three moves…. Why was he taking so much time? It was so clear! …… There! Finally! …..umm….should he finish the game? Would it be too rude for the man?

"Uh?"

He was surprised for that? It was such a clear move….. Norikata-San was going to move on the upper left…..aha just like that!... It was so boring really…

"I have nothing…"

Thank God above! Finally!

"Thank you very much"

What was wrong with him today?, he normally wasn't this impatient, but today…well…he just….

"Well young master you certainly are your father's son"

"Th-thank you for our kind words…." He was blushing, he hated blushing!

Touya Akira hung his head to avoid the other man's glance and started to arrange the stones, he loved Go, more than anything….but….lately, it was so…..

His thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of his father "Ah! Koyo. Are you done with your call, yes?, I was just remembering old times, when this old man was able to defeat you….of course you were seven years old…" Said the old man with a wistful glance" The meijin merely smiled and seated himself beside the man.

"Are you going to spend the night here Norikata-san? You're always welcome to do so.." Offered the meijin, but the man declined "No, thank you very much, I must go back to my son's house"

"I understand, it was such a pleasure to have you visiting us."

The old man smiled and signaled the goban "It's been almost four years since I last played your son, he has become such a strong player…I'm excited about the future."

"I appreciate your kind words" Said the meijin and the man laughed aloud with glee "See young Akira? Just like your father, well I really must take my leave" with slow movements the old man stood up and walked to the door still talking to Toya Koyo, neither of them noticing the child staring at the goban.

Whispered the old man and the meijin nodded. "I know, I have great hopes for him…but lately his game seems a little off, to impatient…"

"Yes I noticed that too, he looked ready to scream at me when I prolonged too much the game…yes, so much like his father.."

"I hope not"

They reached the garden and Norikata looked at the starry sky smiling softly… "He is truly a remarkable kid, but he is not complete Koyo…. Is he going to take the pro exam this year?"

"No" Said the meijin frowning "He wants to wait until next year, but he won't tell the reason, my wife says that he is not ready to stop being a child"

"She is right as always, brilliance at such a young age has its price, he has been surrounded by adults all his life, he sure loves go, but….. He is lacking for a partner in this path, someone like him, someone who understands the difficulties of such a young person in a world full of adults. He needs a friend, a rival, someone to push him forward"

"He has a complete world of them"

"But no one of his age…..Maybe you should remember your own youth. But perhaps is better for him to think in that way, after all were could we find another child like him?"

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"Then please have fun, the tournament will begin in half an hour, your number will be on the back of the chair, if you get lost just find somebody with a ribbon on their arm"

The child nodded and practically banished in the next instant, the young woman in the reception smiled at the shy kid, then she carefully stored the inscription on the appropriated folder, the letter the child had gave her was still on the counter. Really, such a small boy and not able to laugh or even make a greeting….

_"Told you! She just did the "Oh poor dear" look…" _Said Hikaru smiling at the squirming ghost.

"_But"_ Said Sai still giving glances over his shoulder "_ Ruijui?"_

_"What! A classmate of mine had that name, and I already told you, this is an amateur tournament, they won't care who wins….remember our objective_!" Said Hikaru, his eyes resting on the first prize.

"_Yes…."_ Sai whispered, his eyes also resting on the brand new, 100 Kaya wood, beautifully craved goban resting on the elevated platform. A week ago they had entered a small salon, and resting on the counter a pile of pamphlets announced an amateur tournament sponsored by the Kai Company, well know for the quality of their gobans.

And the first prize was a beautiful goban, such prize had of course tempted the pair and after days of whining (Sai), grumbling (Hikaru), tears (Sai again) and lots and lots of increasingly crazy plans to enter the tournament; the pair had stick to their first plan: a false name and a letter from "Ruijui's Father" explaining the unfortunate muteness of his son, and his permission for the child to enter the tournament.

The first part of the plan had gone smoothly, lots of shy smiles and innocent looks and not even a question had gone forward.

_"Hikaru…there are a lot of participants…."_ Pointed Sai looking at the mass of people congregated on the building. "Are you going to be fine?" He asked to the child who was looking a bit green.

"_Ummm…yeah…I mean, once the game starts….in between… well…. there is always the bathroom..Hehe…."_ Said Hikaru his eyes searching for a hiding place.

An amateur and pro- Go tournament with no age or sex limits, a friendly event designed just for fun, but almost always with nice prizes in the form of Go-related items. A tournament which nobody really put a lot of attention, in Hikaru's opinion a perfect opportunity for finally getting a real goban. Now if he could just make it through all his games without vomiting.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Noise, a lot of it, chaos, and a great variety of people, old, young, and extremely young, and all of them with one thing in common: Go. Toya Akira was very accustomed to this kind of ambient, but these events lasted all day from sunrise to night. Most of the times not the most exciting thing if you were not playing.

"So why are you here this early Akira?" asked Ashiwara, a young pro and a student of the Meijin. Akira looked around and shrugged "Father says that I must prepare to do this on the future"

"Uh?...well that makes sense…" Said the young man scratching his no existent beard. "Well, then let me be your guide this afternoon. This is were we gather the finalist, see those panel over there? They are for….."

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"_No!"_

"_Hikaru open the door"_

"_No!"_

"_Then pray to tell me, how do you plan to play your first game here?"_

The child looked at the white walls of the bathroom and sighed "_Smart ghost…"_

"_What was that?"_

"_Nothing, nothing…"_

The main hall of the building was already crowed, small tables were positioned in neat lines, the gobans resting atop of them. On the back of the chairs big red numbers signaled the places for the first game. Swallowing hard Hikaru seated himself in front of a man that looked in his early twenties.

"Good luck there!" Said his opponent, he nodded and hung his head, a group of persons got up to the platform and gave some kind of speech, but Hikaru didn't hear a word, the sound of his heart overpowering everything else, maybe it hadn't be such a great idea, maybe he could still back off….

Loud cheering and claps and some time later a bell signaled the beginning of the games. The child stared as the man started the game with black, had they already made nigiri?

"_It's just a game Hikaru……focus!"_

The child closed his eyes while fingering the stones, it was only one more game, he didn't have to concentrate on who was placing the stones, just on _the_ stones.

Upper star…left….advance….cut territory...gain that stone…..victory!

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Five hours! Five, long and torturous, hours! Game after game, as the crow diminished, some defeated looking, and some angry looking people left early, while others remained to watch the rest of the games, those, Akira thought, were the ones who really loved the game.

Now a break of two hours had been announced, and then the final game would begin. Apparently some good players had come this year and a great final game had been prognosticated. He had heard some people gossiping about one of the finalists, a child it seemed, maybe a future Insei? That happened sometimes, new talent discovered at such places….

His father and most of the organization committee were having lunch but he had slipped, lately he had been feeling even more restless…. He walked around, and then he saw him, seated on a corner behind a plant, he might have passed him without noticing, but he was mumbling something, no, more like grumbling….he had a foldable goban on his lap and was staring at it as if the mysteries of the universe were on the arrangement of the stones….he knew well the feeling.

His feet moved as if on they own accord, soon he was crouched at his side, he was recreating a game with a funny looking board….no…that kind of fierce glance could only be achieved in the middle of a fierce battle, or maybe he was recreating a game he had lost?….his eyes went to the board, and stared….it was….beautiful….but…… this child…? Could he be the one who had played this game?...could he hope?  
**  
Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Checked- Hikaru sighed shakily when the announcer called for a pause of two hours. He had thought that as the games would pass, the people would abandon the building, some had left, but a large group were still watching the games, and many of them were always in his games…. the people began to notice him when the only ones left were seven adults, one teenager and him…. they were eying him, whispering, trying to speak to him….touching, staring…. it was…. unnerving!. He just wanted to leave…. If it were not for Sai he would have fled long ago…

_"Hikaru, you better get out of here….that man is looking straight at you…"_ Said the ghost, and the child jumped of the chair, and disappeared among the crow with the ease of someone accustomed to do it.

_"Really! Why they must stare!"_ Sighed Hikaru, he had found a deserted corridor and had slumped behind a big plant.

"_Hikaru…aren't you hungry?"_ Asked Sai with a worried face, but the child shook his head silently "_I don't think I could eat anything! My stomach is all jumpy….Sai.?"_

Hikaru stared at the ghost with large eyes, he knew too well that look, sitting himself in front of the child, he smiled and opened his fan "_Yes Hikaru, we may play…"_

Grinning, the child opened his backpack and took out a long box, he opened it and then extracted his old foldable goban from it, too small for real stones it had small holes for pins to be inserted, their heads in white and black, simulating the stones, most of them had long ago lost their heads, and sewing pins had replaced them.

Minutes passed and Hikaru could feel his tension leaving…..yes.. He could face this until the end…... If Sai was by his side of course…

The game continued and the board soon was full of pins, and the movements became more careful, not because of the game in itself, but because they counted with a limited numbers of pins….all their games on this board were played attacking from the beginning, risking all and not holding back…full war.

A gasp made Sai look up, there, just at his right side… a boy, he was small, no more than ten or eleven years old, he seemed normal enough, and yet his eyes….he was focused on the game, and for a instant he was sure that the boy could see him….perhaps this child liked Go?...maybe…just maybe he could….  
_  
"Hikaru…..someone is behind you…."_ Whispered Sai in the softest tone he could manage, the one he used when the child woke up in the middle of the night …when the nightmares came…

_"Uh?"_ Asked Hikaru blinking at his opponent, "_What did you said?"_

Sai sighed and signaled at his right with his fan "_Someone is watching our game…"_

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5  
**  
The placing of the pins stopped and the child looked up from the board, staring at the air in front of him, and Akira felt annoyance creeping inside him, he wanted to know the ending of the game, he didn't knew the reason but it seemed important…

Green, panicked eyes stared into his and he blinked at the sudden change in them, only moments ago they had been brilliant and fierce, and now they were wide and scared, and the shade of green seemed even darker than before, he didn't like that, he felt so sad and he didn't knew the reason.

"Uhm…hello…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to scare you….Ah…well I was just trying to hide and…No! I mean…!...I wasn't trying to hide…!"

Could someone make a more stupid presentation? His mother would be ashamed of him….

**_Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 _**

_"Someone is watch…."_ He turned his head so fast that it almost hurt, especially after spending so much time staring at the board, there was a boy at his side, he was pale and had black hair, nothing extraordinary….he didn't seemed dangerous. But he looked sad… perhaps he had lost a game?

"Uhm…hello…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to scare you….Ah…well I was just trying to hide and…No! I mean… I wasn't trying to hide…!" Said the strange child and Hikaru blinked at the rush of words. Then the other kid blushed and shut his mouth rater abruptly.

"I'm sorry…my name is Akira, Toya Akira….I apologize for my behavior, I just saw your board and the game seemed so interesting…..anyway I shouldn't have pried… I'm sorry"

Hikaru blinked again and nodded once and the other kid…Toya, he had said, smiled and then his eyes went to his board and stayed there.

Sai laughed lightly and opened his fan to cover his smile, yes….this child may be capable. _"Hikaru…"_ He whispered "_Maybe he would like to play, don't you think?"  
_  
Hikaru stared at the ghost and then nodded, yes, why not?. Toya made a sound of disappointment when he started removing the pins, but then blinked at him in confusion when Hikaru extend him a handful of the pins.

"Uhm Do you want to play with me?" He asked in confusion and Hikaru nodded and put his first pin, passing over all the protocol for starting a game. But Akira shrugged and using the pins he also made his move.

Sai's smile widened as the game continued, he could not believe his luck, this child, this Toya Akira was good, very good, almost as good as Hikaru….maybe as good, or perhaps better, he could not tell so soon….but he was not an ordinary boy, and that name…. he had read that name….if he could only remember…

His attention was focused once more on the game as Hikaru made a grave mistake. He sighed and pursed his lips, his little brother was good, but still a child... he looked closer and then grinned, so much for a "mistake".

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5  
**  
Akira frowned at the move of his opponent, and a feeling of disappointment started to grow inside him, but why?, how could he hope to find a challenging rival in a child on an amateur tournament? That game had only been a recreation, he sighed and made his next move. Why he was so disappointed?  
**  
Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Toya….yes that was his name…. he sighed and his eyes became a little dull, his posture less stiff….Hikaru grinned inwardly….two more moves….and yes…he was falling just fine……aha! Just a little surprise for this Toya….

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Akira blinked once and the again, then lifted his eyes and saw the other kid grinning with an amused expression…..that move, the mistake... Oh yes! If that grin was any indication… Akira narrowed his eyes but then smiled softly……perhaps he could still hope…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Sai stared at the game in front of him; what had started as a simple little match had developed in a violent carnage…. those two… he knew Hikaru's strength, and it was below this. And this other child, he was so similar to Hikaru, and at the same time so different….they were… complementary to each other. If they could create such a game at this young age, if they could play as complete and full grown players…

The old man's words came back to him like a slap "…if your divine move could be achieved just by keep playing and by just one person alone, I think that it would had been discovered long ago…after all doesn't go needs more than one player?"

Maybe these two could…..no, there was not saying… so much could happen in their path, and with Hikaru's problem….. the small bubble of hope in his chest deflated at he thought….. but such a possibility in those two…those fierce eyes….he had thought that he knew well all of Hikaru's facets….and yet here was a new one…never once the child had demonstrated such passion, not in China, not with him….until now

If only….

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

He had never had such fun….no…it was more that fun…he felt alive…so alert and focused, his stones flowing with such ease, moves he had never thought of…..it was like playing with Sai, he had never thought that he could play with someone like he could with the ghost….and yet it was so different…….what was so different about his game?…

Hikaru lifted his face and their eyes made contact, and he knew what was different about this….Sai had never looked at him like this….like an equal….a rival….he liked the feeling…  
**  
Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5  
**  
The game continued but suddenly the pins were all used and the two boys stared at the unfinished game in frustration and then stared at each other in annoyance, only to later laugh at their luck…

Sai didn't knew if laugh of cry at the sight, Hikaru was openly laughing…with a stranger….a person he had just met, not even with Lian he had laughed like this…and never with another boy…maybe this child could reach out for his little brother…

A bell ringed on the hall and as if coming out of a trance both boys stopped laughing at once and broke eye contact, suddenly uncomfortable with their antics. Hikaru got up with a jump remembering the significance of the sound.  
_  
"Sai, the final!"  
_  
He removed the pins with an ability that amazed Toya, and a minute later pins and goban were inside a box neatly accommodated. And the mysterious boy ran off without a word. Akira knelt there for a full minute before his brain caught up with the sudden departure, and then he jumped to his feet and ran…

"Not now….I have just found!...NO!"

He saw a green blur leaving the building he raced to catch him, not even hearing the concerned shout of Ashiwara. He stood on the street not knowing what direction to take, and the he saw him! He ran and ran, sometimes losing the green backpack in the multitude, sometimes almost catching him, he was so tired! THERE! Not in the subway!

He sprinted and felt his legs burn, not accustomed to such exercise. So close, he reached out and caught a pale hand, and a panicked face with glasses and different eye color faced him. He had been chasing the wrong person….he let go of the hand and the child run away from him crying something about robbers…

He remembered the conversations on the hall….A very young player….Very strong…..No more than twelve….finalist…..It all fell in place, the kid had reacted to the bell, he wasn't someone who lost a game and stayed lingering, he was one of the finalists, he looked at his watch, and felt his heart fall to his feet, he had run blindly for almost half a hour….he looked around and didn't recognize the station he was in….he didn't even have money on him….he ran again…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Hikaru scanned the sea of faces surrounding the table….He wasn't in the crow, maybe he had returned home?...he felt a pang of disappointment…but really, it was his own fault!

An old man made some speech again…he looked at his opponent and bowed silently, and he got black….and he was so angry with himself…..well then, there was a game to play….and Sai was always telling him to canalize his emotions to strength….well this was going to be very, very short….

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5  
**  
"Uhm…..Toya-san?...you're required on the main hall" Said one of the organizers and the Meijin blinked once "Is there a problem?" he asked, the man was a little dazed and seemed more than little shocked

"Yes! I mean no there are no problems…well…the thing is that the game has ended…" Said the man and the Meijin followed to the hall.

"So soon?" The meijin blinked again this time in surprise; it had only been half an hour…. "How? A contestant had a indisposition?" he asked but the man shook his head "Well actually it was a very fast game… merciless I think… they are giving the prize to the winner but the committee had asked for you to present the first prize…"

The man nodded, he had heard that one of the finalists was a kid, maybe he had not resisted the pressure and had crumbled, those things used to happen, especially to young players…

When he reached the hall he was faced with a small kid on the winner's platform holding the ribbon he recognized as the one for the first place, but his sulking face didn't reflect that he had won the tournament.

Some speeches followed and then the prizes were given to the participants, and then came the photos, but when everybody looked for the first place he was nowhere in sight. How could such a small child disappear with a very heavy goban and two bowls of stones no one knew.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5  
**  
Hikaru was pissed off. Completely furious by now, he had slaughtered his opponent and that only made him feel worst… a lot of people were asking him questions and someone was asking for a camera…and he didn't care…he was royally pissed off….

He was pushed to a platform and he started to panic, a man made a short speech, and then came a second and then a third, and he felt his legs cramping for staying so tense for so long, and the man told the damming words that made him fell faint.

"And on this exceptional occasion we are very lucky to count with the presence of Toya-Meijin, actual holder three titles, and probably the best go player that Japan has seen in years……"

Toya…..of course! Did the meijin had a son?...what were the possibilities of a random kid to be such a good player, be named Toya, in the same place as Toya-meijin and not be related to each other….so much for not being noticed….

_"Sai I must get out of here!"_

Everybody was cheering and the bald man was still talking "…unfortunately the reporters from go weekly have not arrived yet, but no one expected such a fast game, so we will present the prizes and then we can have some photos, for the third place…..!"

What! Photos! No way! Everybody cheered when his "name" was announced and he walked to the staged with his head hung, he had never been so grateful for his hair to cover his face, someone had a camera it seemed so he turned his head and accepted his prize, the goban was heavy and it made his arms tremble, he supposed that they were going to pack it up for him to take it….he could not wait….as the bald man started giving prizes for the twenty finalists, he searched frantically for a hiding spot there was no way he could left the hall without someone noticing, the ling line of people who where getting on the platform suddenly cramped the small place and getting his chance Hikaru jumped off the platform and then dived under it grateful for the folds of cloth covering it, the claps died down and then the man started talking again.

"Well let's take some pictures, could the winner come here….uh….where is the first place?..." Some shuffling and Hikaru fought for not starting vomiting whatever still remained there form his breakfast if anything still did.

"Um right Ruijui-Kun? Could you please come here a moment? Ruijui-kun?" Hikaru felt faint, if only one person thought to take a peek under the platform…..but no one did, and Hikaru waited until the bald man made a bad joke about shy kids, and they moved on with the ceremony, his heart pounding furiosly, he prayed for the man to shut up. How long could it last?.

Then the man gave some final words, and then the people started chattering among them, some fragments of the conversations reached him, and he could tell that many were about him…

The people on the platform finally stepped of it and the he heard a grave voice call the name that had started all this.

"Akira were where you! Ashiwara said that you ran off the building!"

"Father!"

His heart jumped and if he had any doubt about the relation between those two they were fast cleared.

"W-wh….where is he!"

The voice sounded faint and gasping, as if he had been running or something.

"Who?, Akira what is wrong?, You are trembling, and sweating too much, are you feeling ill?"

"The kid! The finalist! Where is he!"

"He left, now come here, we are going straight to home, you don't look good.."

"But…"

"No Akira, You are not in a position of negotiate, you can't just run away like that without giving notice, come now!"

"Father. I…"

"I don't want to hear another word, is that clear?"

"Yes..."

Hikaru was left trembling with mixed emotions…..the son of the meijin….he had tried to avoid the world of pros…. but he wanted to at least finish that game. But then people would notice him!. If tonight was any indication then… no he couldn't!

He felt his eyes watering and his body shook when he tried to stop the tears. He wanted to play with Toya…. And what if the games with the pros were like that?...that feeling…..he wanted to feel that again…

If only, if only he could be normal...  
**  
Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Sai looked with sadness at Hikaru….the son of the meijin…. He now remembered; he had seen the name in some old magazines they had been able to get, they were old but still….

His "If only" no longer could be, Hikaru would never agree to such exposure… but now he had tasted a real challenge…. In China he had briefly came in contact with that world, and he had run away from it….. he felt his soul shatter at the sound of his crying… because he knew all too well the pain of wishing something that you could not have… the yearning, the crave…

"_Hikaru….I think everybody has left… Its safe now, let's go home…"  
_  
The child stared at him with such vulnerability and sadness that he was forcefully reminded of that night, that horrible night…he wished to hold the child. He wanted to dry his tears…but his hand passed trough him…and the child dried his eyes and grimaced when they came back again.

"_I'm sorry Sai…I'm such a crybaby…"  
_  
"_No, you're not. Never say that, we must go home… it's late and we still need to figure out a way to take your prize home_"

The child stared at the goban at his side and blinked at it as if seeing it for the first time, a shy smile appeared on his face "_grandpa would have loved it…"_ Sai smiled and nodded "_Yes, it's beautiful….maybe one day you will be able to play that kid on this goban…"  
_  
_"You think?"_ Whispered Hikaru still staring at the goban.

_"A game like that…God would never let that game to be unfinished, some day you two will meet again"  
_  
TBC….

Yay!!! Okay, I think now it's better, not so many mistakes. My head hurts...

12-05-07 - Checked-


	4. Most uncommon circumstances

Guess what? No AN!

**Chapter 04: _Most uncommon circumstances_**

"_It's been two weeks already…"_

"_Mmm…"_

"_Long enough I think…"_

"_Sure…"_

"_School will start on Monday…."_

"_I know."_

"_So…"_

"_So?"_

Sai sighed, and then inhaled deeply, once, twice, the woman on the box had said it was good to breathe deeply in times of great frustration. He opened his eyes and smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"_Hikaru, when are you going to leave the house?"_

"_Mmm…"_

"_Hikaru!" _Finally exploded Sai "_You can't hide all your life here….well you **can** but you must not!"_

The child stared at the ghost and then smiled brightly and stood up "_You're right!"_ He said and Sai stopped his rambling, "_Am I?, well of course I am…"_ He said but then he narrowed his eyes, eyeing suspiciously at his little brother, the child rarely agreed with him so easily, and NEVER at the first try. "_How exactly I am right?"_ he finally asked.

_"I can't hide forever_!" Said Hikaru frowning. "_Sooo… I must get a disguise!"_ He finally declared, and Sai stared at the child.

"_A disguise of what?! Oh wait! What about a monk? When a person of the court wanted to escape they usually disguised themselves as one… what about a merchant? Once Shimik…_" He rambled and Hikaru stared at him, wondering if he should take his comments seriously, then Sai paled and gaped at Hikaru "_You're not thinking about dressing as a girl are you?"_ He whispered and Hikaru stared harder.

_"WHAT?!"  
_  
**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

"Maybe if he had attacked earlier?"

Where to begin?. It was such a big city, and he only had a name…

"Mmm…no, he did the right thing defending there….how about this move here?"

Maybe in Go salons?...but there must be at least a hundred of them!

"What? No! It would have been suicide!"

Schools, he only had his name….and the man at the tournament simply would not give him his address….if he had been just a little faster….

"Oh please don't be so melodramatic…"

Well the name was pretty rare also….

Mmm…maybe in the telephone directory….Why? Why did Tokyo had to be so big?...It could take months…years! What if he moved out?

"Well it's true."

What if right now he was in another country? Australia, America! Or even worst… an accident...

"Okay then, let's say you're right, how about here?, and then he could claim…."

Maybe that was to extreme, but, each day people had car accidents…….his mother had told him about a new kind of sickness that morning, something related with monkeys….What if the kid caught that!...

"What do you think Akira?"

The voice cut his thoughts and the child found himself being the center of attention of the large group of pros. Ogata-San, one of the best students of his father had been the one to ask the question, to which he had no idea how to answer…

"Eh…beg your pardon?" He asked in a small voice, and Ogata-san raised one eyebrow and then signaled a stone on the board "This….what do you think? Attack or defend?"

Akira looked at the board, the game seemed even and the stone Ogata-san had signaled was just in the middle of the board….he looked at the game and his eyes grew large…

"W-what was the move before that?.." He asked, his father signaled the left corner and the move, and Akira clenched his hands, the style was….extremely similar…almost the same...he had to know…. But everybody was looking at him waiting for an answer.

"Attack…." He said firmly and some nodded and everybody returned to the discussion.

"Well we can discuss all night long, but we will never know which path he would have taken, after all, this game is unfinished…" Said Ashiwara and everyone nodded.

"Of course we are all thinking in modern's strategies….. Shuzaku-sama…. he sure was a genius."

"Too advanced for his age and time……I heard he died at a young age?"

Akira blinked once at the name, Shuzaku? That kind of game…. Could that child had learned from Shuzaku's style, perhaps it was only a coincidence…

"May I ask you the reason for your distraction? It isn't like you to be inattentive..." Whispered Ogata-san and Akira shifted his gaze, maybe Ogata-san could help, no, he wanted to do this on his own…and it looked like the kid did not want to people fussing over him…..Akira knew all too well that feeling.

"No, its nothing, just school things Ogata-san." He finally said and the man arched an eyebrow again. "Okay….I will take your word for it, so tell me Akira, are you finally going to forget this stubborn attitude of yours and take the exam?" He drawled in a bored voice.

"I'm still thinking about it…."

The Pro merely hummed and the child averted his eyes. "I heard you were very interested in the boy everybody have been talking about, the one who supposedly won the tournament?" Said the man as if merely continuing a conversation they had been having "However I'm beginning to think that the entire thing was just a fiasco…"

Well, Akira though, he had not seen the game, he wasn't even sure that the two boys were the same one. What if it was a mere coincidence?. But the boy had reacted at the announcement of the final game…

"A Bluff, But… why?" He finally asked and Ogata studied him and then he signaled at the group of pros "Akira, the Go world in Japan is getting behind, every year less and less children enter the Insei program, and the ones who actually comes out of it being pros are too few, and what it's worst, their level as players is decreasing…. New blood is needed, Korea and China have plenty of it and that is making them strong, Japan however…."

"So" He said continuing " What would happen if suddenly a young, a unknown prodigy child appeared from nowhere and suddenly won a tournament in which, may I add, some of the best amateurs participated, and to add to the whole scenario he just wins the final game against the unbeaten champion in less than thirty minutes…..it just sound like the kind of propaganda one would need to bring the attention of the young ones into the game, children loves heroes, and such, a influence of so much manga I'm sure…..the result however is the same, more kids interested in the game, more chances of getting new blood"

Well that sounded logical if a bit paranoiac.. but that didn't explain his game…. perhaps it had really been a mere coincidence….

"I would agree with you Ogata-san but I actually watched the game" Said Ashiwara joining the conversation "and I assure you, Kumiko-san would never agree to such thing, and you should have seen her face, she was completely stunned, I could not watch the kid too close, because I was with Nishimura-san at the back, and since it was such an informal tournament the kifus are not registered….quite a pity if you ask me, every year better and better players comes to that tournament …"

Ogata seemed irritated at the destruction of his "Great conspiracy theory" however he still looked a bit incredulous "If that's true, then how did nobody notice the child before the final game?"

Ashiwara frowned "I asked myself the same thing, but is actually kind of simple, this year we had one hundred and fifty participants, and not having age or gender divisions we only take names and address, no more. Also the final match is decided on points, the ones with most won games advance… when the semifinals came, one of the final contenders had already been decided because he was the only one unbeaten, and since only the name is registered….now that you mentioned it, I did heard some people talking about an amazing Kid who was winning all his games, but I though that it was nothing unusual, after all, most years there are always some strong teens or kids who go all the way to the semifinals unbeaten and then crumbles"

"So is this kid going to be incorporated into the Insei program?"

"Uh?...well if they can find him…"

"What do you mean by that?" Asked Ogata, and Ashiwara blushed and looked to the wall. "Well you see, the thing is….well; we kind of learned that the address he gave is kind of….false"

"Kind of?" drawled Ogata and Ashiwara blushed again.

"Completely false….and we think that the name may also be…"

"What about a picture or a good description of the boy?" Asked Ogata with a new eyebrow raise, but Ashiwara just kept looking at the very interesting and completely blank wall "Um… well we have kind of contradictory descriptions, some says brunette, others chestnut, we also have one lady who swear is his grandson, and several parents claiming that their child is the one, and well…… we honestly don't know who's telling the true and who isn't…"

"So, you got no name, no address, and not even an accurate description?

"Um…yes"

"In a tournament were more than two hundred people were either, watching, organizing or playing?"

"Yes that is a way of viewing it…" Ashiwara finally said, starting to get irritated. "The problem is, we had more that fifty children of all ages entering the tournament, and even if we ask for a child, what could we say? "Excuse me do you remember a child playing go at the tournament?""

Ogata snorted and the conversation continued. Akira was silent, staring at his hands in wonder, could it be a coincidence? No… it couldn't, but it looked like the kid did not want to be recognized, or found….AGHHH! Why things had to be so complicated! He didn't even know his name! Actually he didn't remember a lot of the kid… black hair slightly shorter than his, a black cap , green challenging eyes, yes….okay….it should be easy right?...

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

Hikaru stared at the mirror, then he stared again, Sai was still winning in the back, he turned his head to the right and then to the left, and the ghost muttered something about disgrace…

"_Ah come on! It's not that bad!"_ He finally cried out in frustration and Sai stared at him with horror.

_"Not too bad?!, what was wrong with your nice black hair?! How could you listen to that woman instead of me?!"_ He finally said, and Hikaru sighed, he looked at the mirror, he had finally got out the house, to mall and then to a place he had seen announced on a magazine, there a weird girl had taken him for a makeover, or so she had claimed, his hair was now very short on the back, and long at the front framing his face, and it was bicolor, the front bleached, he kind of liked it…. His eyes seemed more clear, and his face different, older.

That and the new clothes his father had gave him before, but Hikaru had refused to wear, and he was a completely different guy…he had got the idea form a comic he had seen on china….…

_"Hikaru listen to me!_ What if your new sensei doesn't approve of your looks! What are you going to do! " Asked Sai still frowning at the radical change, while living in China, shoulder length hair had not been uncommon and his child had never bothered to do much with his hair, just a cut once in a while. But this….it was preposterous!

_"Sai we are going to be late…"_Said Hikaru, he was wearing the uniform his father had given him almost a month ago, after they had moved…again, three new apartments since coming back to Japan, and also two houses and now they lived in the heart of Tokyo, in the middle of a maze of buildings that reminded Hikaru of their home in China.

"Hikaru you are late hurry up!" Called his father before leaving the apartment. Hikaru sighed, he really didn't care about his school, so when his father had announced one morning that Hikaru was going to change schools he only nodded and continued poking at his cereal. It seemed that the school was a very prestigious one, and with his father's new promotion also came the opportunity for a better education, or so had said his father. Actually, Hikaru could care less about the whole thing.

Thirty minutes later Hikaru was standing in front of the massive building, it was too large for a simple school, Sai also was looking at the school with no little apprehension, perhaps they had been too accustomed to small places?.

_"Uhm… so I must go to…..principal office, third floor…..first….building…..right…."_ Thought Hikaru while scanning the paper his father had left for him on the kitchen table, he was supposed to report to the principal's office at least fifteen minutes before classes….

_"Sai..?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"I think….well I…..we are a little lost…."_

_"I noticed…."_

_"So…?"_

"_Well we have two options, ask for help or rely on sheer luck for finding the right building in less than three minutes." _Said finally the ghost, knowing already which option the child would choose.

"_Okay. Then let's walk a little more…."  
_  
An hour later they were still lost, and they were now at the principal gate again.

_"Hikaru…"_

_"Don't!"_

_"But!"_

_"No!"_

_"…."_

_"Okay! I will ask for help! Are you happy now!"_

"Excuse me, what are you doing out of classes?" Called a feminine voice and Hikaru spun around, it was a tall woman wearing formal clothes, she looked like a secretary of some sorts, maybe she could help! He immediately gave her his card, the one explaining his "problem". The woman blinked once but took the card nonetheless. She read it and then looked at the child as if looking for some indication that the card was a joke. She finally gave him a half smile and nodded.

"I am to assume that you're lost?" She asked and Hikaru nodded sighing in relief, the woman nodded again and gestured for Hikaru to follow her.

"You're lucky then, I'm the director assistant, and my name is Murakami Ami. The director Asai mentioned something about a special case for this year." Hikaru blushed at the comment, he knew all to well what she meant about special….well he was too accustomed at it…

"Director Asai? I'm sorry to bother you, the new student you were waiting for is here, he was lost" Hikaru stared at the director, middle aged; he looked nice enough so the child smiled.

"Ah yes…Shindo-kun isn't?" He said looking kindly at him. "Thank you Miss Murakami, could you also call Sasaki-san?"

"Of course Director."

The woman closed softly the door and the director seated himself on a couch gesturing Hikaru to do the same. "Well, as you probably already know your admission to this school is an extraordinary situation, while normally we would recommend for you to attend a special school, your father assured us that you have had no problems in you past schools, however I will still assign Sasaki-san- your teacher- as your tutor, any problem or difficulty you may have should be reported to him. Is that okay with you?"

Hikaru nodded and smiled, a soft knock in the door announced the arrival of the assistant and the teacher, he was a pretty plain looking man, medium stature and black and short hair, a pair of glasses completed the classic image.

"Director Asai" He saluted.

"Sasaki-san, this is Shindo Hikaru, the new student, I will leave him under your care" He gestured at Hikaru to follow the man and the child bowed and did so. The door was closed without a sound and the two adults stared at it.

"Director Asai, do you think that the child will be alright?" Asked the assistant, still looking at the door. The man seated himself on the couch again and sipped at his tea.

"His notes are good enough and he has no history of any kind of problems, other than his lack of socialization mind you, but I think that is expected taking in account his….situation"

"He is the son of the new sub-director of the Fusoko Company?"

"He is, another reason to assume that whatever problem the child would present will be taken care of, after all other than his inability for talk he is a perfectly normal child"

"I'm not concerned about him, but the other children might not see that."

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Mr. Asaki had been nice enough, he had explained Hikaru all kind of things, while waiting for the next period to start. Now he was waiting outside the classroom….he hated waiting. A head poked out the classroom and he froze, it was time…

"Class this is Shindo Hikaru, he is going to join us from today on. He, however is a special case and a I will ask for you to behave with him, Shindo-kun had an unfortunate accident a few years ago that left him unable to talk, please do not ask rude questions, he can hear perfectly well so please you do not need to yell at him, any, and I mean any rude comments or taunts will be severely punished." He could feel the stares, how many times he had hear the same speech, with more o less words, kinder or bolder, but the same in essence, why did they thought that parading him like a monkey was a good idea?.

"Okay Shindo-kun why don't you seat here at the front, the one behind you is Toya-kun, ask him for whatever you need." Hikaru nodded without lifting his gaze, yes it was always the same front seat, ask the kid behind bla bla bla…..He seated himself and the teacher immediately started giving some advices, Hikaru sighed and took out his pencil case…. Really it wasn't like he would ask anything to this Toya-guy….

He froze, his fingers tightened around the metal case, how bad luck could he have?…. Perhaps it was just a coincidence?...

"Are you alrigth?" No such luck, he remembered that voice all to well…he didn't turn around and he nodded stiffly. Why?! Tokyo was enormous, there where lots of schools, of all kinds, so why was he in the same one with the only person he wanted to avoid in the city!  
**  
Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Sai surveyed the room looking for possible problems or bullies, he had learned to recognize them at first sight, so far it seemed a nice enough place, but there were always some bad mannered brats, he gaped when his yes stopped at the line; there, seated primly and with a kind of distracted look was Toya Akira.

"_Hikaru listen to me don't panic but….Hikaru?"_ Whispered the ghost but desisted when he looked at the child, it was always the same on new schools, the same concentration that the child used to focus on a game only, seemed to serve as well to block the world away but still look like he was in it. He even looked calm.

"Okay Shindo-kun why don't you seat here at the front, the one behind you is Toya-kun, ask him for whatever you need."

Yes, that was it, anytime now Hikaru was going to process the words and either froze or escape like a hunted rabbit. Inwardly he was amused and more than pleased, the destiny seemed in disagreement with Hikaru's wishes.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5  
**  
Akira was taping his finger on his desk, he had a polite look of attention plastered on his face, but his thoughts were elsewhere, planning, trying to resolve the increasingly strange puzzle.

He blinked when the teacher said his name, a new student he had said, he looked at the child with mild interest; very pale, bleached hair and glasses, a strange combination he thought. The other kid seated himself in front of him…. He heard a sharp intake of breath, he could only see his back but by the way his shoulders hunch and the force he was gripping his case with, he assumed the guy was pretty nervous, first day stuff he guessed.

"Are you alright?" he finally asked and all he got in return was stiff nod, he shrugged and stared out of the window.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5  
**  
Soon two weeks passed, and Hikaru felt almost safe, he still avoided Toya like the plague, not that the other kid seemed to notice him, actually the other kid seemed awfully not interested in anything, he seemed like that fish his father had gave him on his last birthday. The thing had floated impassively the whole two weeks the poor fool had survived under the complete inattention of his master, at the third week his father had noticed the "pet" floating with its belly up, no more pets had appeared after that. The thought that Toya's attitude was soo similar was grating on him, he did not know why, it only was….

At first he had panicked at the thought of Toya suddenly recognizing him, but as the days passed it had been obvious that the other kid not only didn't recognized him but could not care less about him….the thought was….he didn't know, it just made him…disappointed….No! He wasn't disappointed, he wanted to be left alone, he…it was like those fantasies he used to have in China…but they were foolish, utterly crap!

He heard the bell signaling the end of the period and lunch time, without lifting his gaze he made a beeline for the exit, not that anybody made a move to stop him, it was always likes this: either people went out of his way to taunt him or just ignored him, like he was just another piece of furniture, it certainly made him feel as such….

He went out of the building and into the gardens they were awfully large and with lots of good hiding places, he liked them, he took out one book full of complicated go strategies, and his lunch, he stared at the cold Chinese food and smiled sadly.

While living in China and after confessing that his meals mostly consisted on take away and frozen foods, Lian had taught the kid what he had declared were essential and practical abilities, cooking, sewing, repairing, and wood craving… how could the ability of crave a pig in a piece of wood could be life saving he didn't knew, but at least he could cook for himself, his father had gaped at him one weekend when he had found his nine years old son making fried rice with ease but as usually had just shrugged and continued reading his newspaper.

Sometimes while cooking he could almost remember his mother doing the same, white hands chopping and dicing….and also his grandpa….maybe it was time to learn how to cook Japanese food properly….

"Ah! Sorry I though nobody would be here…" He had been so engrossed in his memories that the voice surprised him so much that book and lunch both ended in a puddle in the grass, he cried out in despair and shook his soaked book trying to weep of the stains on the cover.

"S-sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I-I…." He waved off the apology and continued inspecting his precious book, a hand extended him a handkerchief and he took it, it was almost plain only two initials on one corner T.A. he carefully peered under his bangs and gasped; kneeling in front of him, just like the other day, was Toya Akira, he hung his head and used the handkerchief to get rid of the remaining stains. Some pages were completely soaked and brownish stains were blurring great part of the kifu in most of them.

"Uhm…I hope its not ruined?...If it is then I must insist on replacing it" Toya stammered and he sounded so sincere that he felt compelled to lift his head and look at him, he looked apologetic enough so he just waved off the whole thing, closing the book and smiling what he hoped was a reassuringly smile. But the other child was staring at his book now, a thoughtful look in his face.

"I…I know this book, my father gave me this same book some time ago. Do you play go?"

Hikaru stared at the boy, what to do? He couldn't run away…that would be a dead away…yes or no….

He shrugged and hid the book, he felt himself starting to blush, he always blushed when he was nervous damn it! He would be discovered?

"Oh….are you learning then? I don't think that is a good book to start…" He blushed deeper at the condescending tone, and while he was relieved that Toya had made the wrong assumption he felt more than a bit offended to be called an amateur! He gave the other child an angry glance and then stood up intending to leave. The other seemed to panic at this and immediately started another tirade of apologies.

"Wait! I'm really sorry I didn't meant to pry, is just that well….maybe it would be a good idea to start with more easy stuff….maybe some classes, I'm very sorry to have ruined your book, I have some beginners guides from when I was little, I could give it to….hey wait!"

Hikaru had had enough! Never, never he had been so insulted in his entire life! Not even by Yang! Not only he had called him an amateur, he had the gall to assume that he was too dumb to read big guys books! Oh yes! He needed some books with nice pictures of little pink monkeys showing how to grab a stone! Or maybe that was too advance for him, maybe Toya thought that he first needed to be taught what a stone was! Agh! How he wanted to beat the prick into a pulp!

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5  
**  
"…Hey wait!" Yelled Toya, as he watched the other kid walk away clearly offended, Sai sighed in annoyance and followed a very pissed off Hikaru, truth to be told he had been also slightly offended at the commentaries, and if Hikaru hated something it was to be underestimated or brushed off as somebody not worthy….to be ignored…even if he didn't say it aloud.

_"Hikaru…"_  
_  
"What?!"_ Snapped the child, turning around and then glaring at the ghost, who shrunk in fear at the hateful glare the boy gave him.

_"Ah! I didn't do anything! Stop looking at me like that!"_

_"Looking like what?! I'm looking at you the same as always!"_ Screamed in his head the kid starting to pace while stomping his feet, a small was pulsing in his forehead and his hands were trembling with anger, Sai had never seen his little brother like that…

_"Hikaru, what's wrong? Why are you so upset?"_ He asked in a soothing voice, it seemed the wrong thing to do because the kid fixed a very angry gaze on him.

_"How the hell I'm going to know?! And why do you care! All you care about is Go! You don't know anything so stop bothering me you…you…."_

_"Hikaru stop! I'm only trying to…!"_  
_  
"NO! I'm sick of this! I didn't want to come to this stupid country! I only suggested the whole stupid tournament because of you! IT'S YOUR DAMN FAULT! I HATE YOU!"_

The child slumped against the wall, pale and still trembling. He breathed deeply several times before realizing what he had said, he groaned and buried his head in his hands. Sai stood at his side, silent.

_"Sai…"_

_"You better return to your classroom, it's already late…"_ Whispered Sai and the child cringed. He nodded and neither spoke a word trough the rest of the day.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Toya stared as the child left him talking alone, feeling some righteous anger himself. Really! He had just suggested some basic knowledge before trying to read such books! He put one hand in front of him to stand up and cried out in pain when something sharp and pointy pierced his hand, he inspected the grass and his eyes became wide with surprise, lying innocently on the grass was a small black pin.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5  
**  
Asaki Akio was feeling quite preoccupied, for two reasons, or more exactly for two students, Shindo Hikaru and Toya Akira, both were distant from their peers, both seemed to favor solicitude and generally avoided all group activity, Toya had been like that always, but recently he seemed distracted…

He was making his way back to the classroom when he spotted the most unusual pair, seated in the grass were Toya-kun and Shindo-kun, perhaps….

Asaki-sensei grinned at his clever idea, unite the two of them, of course! They seemed quite similar after all, he went into the building missing the fight between the two kids.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Toya stared at the pin in his hand, could it be only a coincidence….after all it wasn't a too peculiar item, every house must have several of the little needles…still…

"Toya-kun may I have a word with you?" The voice from his teacher could not be more unwelcome at the time, but still Akira plastered a smile in his face and answered with a polite "How can I help you Sensei"

His teacher was smiling in a strange way at him, like that time when he had wanted to make him join that committee "Toya-kun I have a big favor to ask, you see I need somebody mature and reliable for this"

Flattering, yes it was going to be something very bad "I…thank you"

"Toya-kun this is about Shindo Hikaru, our new student, I' afraid that he is not taking well all the changes, he just recently moved from China and I think that he still misses his former home, I would like to you to help him to get accustomed with the school and classes. What about it"

The first instinct of Toya was to refuse, but then the almost nonexistent weight in his palm made him reconsider, could it be?...just how recently Shindo had moved?...there were few possibilities that he…

"Yes Sensei I will do it"

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5  
**  
Hikaru felt his stomach churning trough all the classes, Sai was still silent at the end of the day and he was feeling worst as the time passed. He had not meant to yell at Sai….but he had been so angry…it was that Toya, it was his fault!

When the bell signaled the end of classes he sprinted to the exit, he wanted to leave the damned school, once in the streets he went to a park near his new house and seated himself on a swing.

_"Sai….I'm sorry, really…I didn't mean to say those things….you know is not true…I-I …..Sorry…..please don't hate me…"_ Whispered the child and the next instant the ghost was in front of him.

_"Hikaru…..I'm not mad at you, I know that you were too angry to speak the truth, I did not talk to you because I though that you needed some time to cool off…"_ Whispered the ghost smiling gently, Hikaru felt even worst at this, Sai was the only one at his side always, he was the only person he had, his only friend, his brother, and yet, he had told him….

_"I-I'm s-sorry!"_ He could not contain the tears or the sobs, Sai ought to leave him, and he was always messing things!

_"Hikaru don't cry! Please! I'm not mad! Really, really, please don't…!"_ Sai stared at the child; he knew that with those tears the kid was letting out all that had happened since the tournament. He had almost forgot for a while just how fragile his child was, even if he seemed so strong at times, he wanted so much to hug him….but he could only wait…as always…he could not comfort him, only with words, only from afar…

TBC

Glaenzendeswasser- I hope so too, thanks!

Chen: -blush- thank you I hope you enjoyed this chapter

Yomu: I hope that Hikaru's school time will be more problematic in the future.- grin-

Green.on.Black: I know….it's so frustrating for me, I trying to be more careful though. And hopefully this will improve with time. Thank you for you review.

I hope for this to become a good fic.JCuriousDreamWeaver: Well what can I say? Thanks!

Ady: Yep

THANKS TO ALL the people who reviewed:

Peggy (for the two of them).

BattousaiGirl

Maen

Falcon-Jade-Darkness

Saye

Xiar

MysticLightLite


	5. The table is set

**_Chapter 5: The table is set_**

Oh! Joy…..playmates…Sure! How old his father thought he was!...The kid had been seated on the couch staring at his hands for an hour already…maybe he was dead? No, he was still breathing…

"Uhm…."

Oh God! He was alive after all! He moved! He was staring at him! …Okay he didn't like to be stared at….

"Your name is Shindo Hikaru right?" Asked in a whisper the other kid, and Hikaru nodded slowly, and continued watching the other kid…he was…fascinating, he had not meet another child that could be so…quiet, but the other kid was too nervous…He felt a pang of empathy and gave his hand in greeting and the other kid stared and gave his own with a shaky smile.

"Well that's it then! Now that greetings are done why don't the both of you go to play in your room Hikaru? I have some work to do; I'll call you two for dinner"

Said Masao with a wide grin and Hikaru stared at him in amazement, when he had first woke up in the morning he had hoped to lounge all day in a empty apartment, next thing he knew his father was introducing their new neighbors, a woman and his child, and then the woman said playmates and his father had grinned and then….when he had reached his room!

"You don't have to, you know?...play with me I mean…" Whispered again the other kid and Hikaru looked at him with curiosity, the other one blushed and avoided his gaze "I'm sorry, my mother is always looking for "friends"…I'm just…well…you….Is that a Goban!"

Said with awe the other kid and Hikaru's estimation of the guy went up a notch, the kid was taller and seemed older than him, he had glasses and short hair, apparently liked Go and seemed safe enough….but he had thought the same about Toya….

"Do you play! I too! I have just moved here but I'm not going to change school, I'm in the Haze Institute…I wanted to join the Go club but they don't have one so….Uhm! I was thinking of opening one next year but, well the thing is that I'm not good enough….Ah! Sorry I'm babbling!"

The kid…what was his name again?…Tsutsui?…yes…_Tsutsui Kimihiro… Hikaru smiled and gave his hand again and this time he shook the others' with energy. The other kid seemed confused at first but then smiled._

_Sai smiled in the corner "What about a game Hikaru? He seems to like Go?"_

_Hikaru nodded and seated himself in front of his Goban and reached for both the bowls and the frowned…actually it would be the first time that he would play with another person in the goban…_

_"Uhm…do you want to play with me?"_

_Hikaru nodded again and extended the other bowl to the other kid, who took it with reverence and this time he smiled openly. Yes, he liked this kid._

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

_They were laughing again, that man was still whispering in his hear, he could feel the foul breath it was warm and tick like he had imagined a monsters' would be, he was a monster…_

"…**_remember brat….. Not a sound…I will know."_**

_He nodded and the pressure in his wrists banished, they were still laughing, he felt so cold. They were leaving… the heavy steps were leaving; he must move…..his grandpa…._

_He opened his eyes and felt colder. He opened his mouth to scream but not a sound came out._

"…**_I will know…."_**

Hikaru opened his eyes with a start, he was sweating and his eyes tingled, he closed his eyes and trembled; he was so confused, he had been dreaming he was sure, but he couldn't remember anything, only fear and cold. His throat was so tight that it hurt.

"_Hikaru….Hikaru…"_

"_I-I…fine….D…w-worry…"_

Sai sighed and stared with sadness, it had been a nightmare of _that_ night he was sure, even after all this years, the child still dreamed about it, and yet he could not remember the event while awake. Sai feared for Hikaru to remember.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

He did not like Toya Akira, not a little bit; actually he was starting to hate him. Here he was hiding behind a trash deposit, his last safe haven.

"_Hikaru why does he bothers you so much?"_ Asked Sai with a small smile. The Toya Kid seemed to have a peculiar interest in his little brother, but at the same time he didn't seem to recognize in Hikaru the child who had played against on the tournament, and was almost as stubborn and persistent as Hikaru.

Hikaru glared_ "Why! He is stalking me! Everywhere I go he is there!_" And that was exactly the problem, Hikaru hated to be chased, time to make some peace effort. Sai got a serious expression "Well Hikaru, he seems to be trying to your friend, and you have seen that he doesn't talk to anybody like he does with you…he looks a little lonely to me, maybe he sees in you something alike, and if you two became friends maybe in the future you could play with him…"

Hikaru became pale at the suggestion and Sai immediately tried to calm him "I'm_ not saying that you should become a professional! But maybe he can keep your secret, which is what friends do….if he can become a real friend then he might understand your situation better and respect your wishes…"_

The child stared hard at the ghost, well he really wanted to play Go…and after that game with Toya he felt somewhat…empty when playing anyone else, when he had told Sai the ghost just smiled and said something about real challenge.

"_Maybe you should start being more friendly with him…listen to him"_

"_No! Why should I! No, no, no!"_

"_Hikaru! Don't be such a child!"_

"_I am a child"_ Said Hikaru sticking his tongue at Sai _"And there's noting you can do about it!"_

Sai smiled evilly "_Oh yes?"_ He asked sweetly _"Are you sure?"_ Hikaru nodded slowly still frowning "_Oh that's right….then I guess that new combination for yose that I had promised will have to wait."_ Hikaru paled and stared at Sai.

"_You promised!"_ He said with outrage, he had been doing all kind of chores all the week just for the ghost to teach him those!

"_Did I, I think I remember someone also promising to use his head once in a while…"_

"_FINE! You win! I will talk to the little sod! Are you happy now?"_

Sai just smiled and patted the child in the head with his fan and Hikaru wished not for the first time for the ghost to have a body, just for the pleasure to beat the crap out of him….

Hikaru finally gave up and sighed…what harm could it do? Being friends with Tsutsui was fun after all…maybe this friends stuff was good…He nodded again, this time in a determined way and stood intending to find the other boy, Sai clapped with enthusiasm and followed the boy.

After ten minutes he finally saw him, brooding and seated in the stairs bellow, he was about to descend to meet him but then Asaki Sensei appeared beside the boy and Hikaru froze, he didn't like the sensei, he was always asking uncomfortable questions, so he stayed were he was waiting for the man to leave.

"Ah Toya-kun! I have been looking for you, may I borrow some of your time?"

"Yes Sensei of course."

Hikaru seated himself on the stairs as the conversation continued, what could he do to show his good disposition? Maybe a note?...

He didn't want to spy on their conversation, but when his name came forward he started listening.

"…..Shindo-kun…?"

"I'm afraid no…he doesn't seem to like me at all…"Said Toya frowning and Sensei Asaki sighed.

"I see…Maybe it was a bad idea to ask you to try to become his friend after all…I'm sorry Toya-kun, you may stop if this is uncomfortable for you" Said the man absently revising his files, then he smiled and patted the child on the shoulder, Toya stiffened and seemed ready to answer but only nodded.

"Then I will see you on class"

Hikaru felt…cold, numb, then he smiled bitterly…why was he so disappointed? After all who would willingly want to become his friend? Even Tsutsui had been pushed to meet him…he was just…

"Shindo?"´

He lifted his gaze, Toya was looking at him with those large eyes of his, and felt even worse, and he glared at him and was surprised when he felt the humidity in his eyes. He got up and did the thing he was best at, he run away.

"Shindo wait!"

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Hikaru shifted in his seat, watching the brooding boy in front of him, they had been on the same position for almost ten minutes already, tired of the situation he grabbed the others' hand and went inside the hall again.

"Ah! Shindo-kun wait!"

Hikaru grinned and started running while dragging a screaming Tsutsui behind him. They were on a very large Go convention, Tsutsui had appeared one day with a pamphlet on his hand and had begged Hikaru to go with him, who had accepted immediately, the three of them had spend the last five hours watching with joy all the stands.

"I was resting you know! My feet hurts!" complained Tsutsui, Hikaru opened a notepad he had been carrying all day, Sai had suggested it as a form of communication with the other kid, and it had worked nicely until now. Hikaru spotted a board discussion on a panel, there were several empty chairs so he grabbed the other kid and seated himself in one chair.

"Thank you. Oh! It is Ogata-san!" Said Tsutsui with enthusiasm, when Hikaru looked at him with a confused expression he sighed. "Ogata-san" He clarified "He is a pro, Go-weekly says that he will become a lead figure in little time."

Hikaru blinked and then watched the game, two pros where playing while two more people were explaining the moves to the crowd.

"_Hikaru look at the upper corner…"_ Said Sai and Hikaru did so.

"_Tell me, can they live?"_ Asked the ghost and the child frowned, no, they couldn't…unless…but it would be too risky…

"…_1-2?..._" He finally thought and the ghost smiled "_Close…1-6"_

"_But!.._" Said Hikaru, that move would not bring anything good.

"_Wait…._" Reprimanded Sai and Hikaru frowned again, after five moves what was a mistake became a nicely good move. Sai nodded _"Patience Hikaru, you must learn to read your opponent…We will work on that, you must read even deeper…You're a natural in it, you just must practice"_

"_But…where?…I can't win you…"_

"Hikaru Look! It's Internet Go!" Said Tsutsui signaling a large cardboard and several computers, a small crowd was congregated around a man seated on one of the computers.

Seeing the mystified look on Hikaru the other kid sighed "I guess you don't know about it?" Hikaru shook his head and Tsutsui smiled "Well you can play with a lot of people trough internet, you don't even have to go out of your house, you can play people from all around the world…I have played several times but always with beginners and those games are not very good, but….hey! Wait for me!"

Hikaru reached the group in no time, in the monitor was displayed a board and the man put the stones with the cursor, the group moved and Hikaru and Tsutsui were the only ones left, the man smiled at them "Hello, are you interested in net-Go?"

Hikaru nodded enthusiastically he had so many questions! How long could he play? When? It cost? How much? "Well I have some pamphlets here, and I can explain some basic stuff to you, here take a seat…"

Half an hour later Hikaru was in the middle of a game against someone from England, the other one wasn't very good but he still was enjoying himself very much, if he could play like this, he didn't even had to use his name…

"_Sai! You…you could also play like this! We could both play like this! No one has to know our real identities!"_ Said the excited child almost bouncing in his seat, Sai stared at him and then a wide smile appeared in his face._ "Really?"_

"_Yes!"_

Sai was speechless he had thought….and now…

Hikaru finished his game and grinned when a little window claimed his victory. Neither the ghost nor the kid saw the calculating gaze of one Ogata Seiji as the game progressed.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"Principal Asai?"

"Ah Toya-kun thank you for coming!" Said the old man grinning, he signaled for Toya to sit and then smiled again. "Toya-kun I must confess that I feel a little sad, you see, I had hoped for you to join our Go club, I know that your level must be above of it but I had hoped for you to at least go once in a while"

Akira stared at the man "Uhm…I'm sorry is just that I already have much to do, and…"

"Of course, of course, I understand that someone like you must be already too occupied in your imminent joining to the pros, isn't it, perhaps you're preparing for the exam?"

"N-no….I'm not going to take the exam this year…" Whispered the child but the man didn't listened him, he continued talking "…I remember your father he was the same like you, I was a teacher when he was studying here, yes he was such a genius for the game…"

"Uhm….sir?" He tried again, and then the man smiled once more. "Why don't you at least try for a while, at least you will be able to make some new friends"

"Sir, I'm really honored by your interest in me, but, really I don't think I could do it….I'm not that great sir…"

"Oh please don't be modest my boy!" Laughed the man "We are going to have a tournament here on Sunday, why don't you come for a while and watch if you're interested then you can join, and if you're not then I will never say a word again, how that sounds?"

The child stared at the man and tried to argue, but at the end the old man won. He exited the room in a depressed state; it had just been a bad week.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"Open this door! You're a coward Tsutsui! You babble all the time about your stupid club and I have to listen and now you tell me "I give up"! OPEN NOW!"

Hikaru woke up from his nap to the sound of someone trying to bring down a door and loud yelling.

"_Sai? What?"_ He asked still half-sleep, Sai was looking at the door with a concerned face _"Um…they have been at it for some time now….someone was talking to Tsutsui and then they started to yell and then well you woke up…_

Hikaru stared at the door, blinked twice and dropped his head in his pillow again snuggling in the soft couch.

"_Hikaru, are you not going to do anything.._?" Asked Sai cautiously

"_Nope"_ Murmured Hikaru and put his pillow over his head in a vain attempt to block the yelling.

"_But, Tsutsui is your friend…remember when you got all wet after you landed on that fountain? He gave you his jacket, and scared that mean little bird_" Said the ghost and Hikaru got up and glared at the man.

"_First of all it was not a little bird it was huge! And his claws were really sharp and second, no, I will not do a thing, every time I interfere in something it always ends badly, so I am going to sleep and then I will do that horrible project form science class…"_

"TSUTSUI! You have exactly five seconds to open, then I am going to get this damn door down and then I will beat you to a pulp you little bastard!"

"_Hikaru…"_

"_No! It will end badly, I tell you!_

"_Have it your way then but I'm sure Lian would have been ashamed of your behavior!"_

That got Hikaru's attention, he gave a large groan, this was going to cause him problems he just knew it!

"_Okay but just remember if something happens it will be your entire fault!"_

"_Hikaru…."_

"_Yeah…yeah…."_

He went to the aisle exactly just in time to see a large boy tackle his friend, the combined yelling making him cringe, he run to the door and got the hand of the boy before he punched his friend glaring at him for all he was worth.

"Uh? What! Who the hell are you cricket?" The glare intensified at the nickname and he shoved the boy aside getting between him and Tsutsui.

"Shindo wait! He is a friend!" Said the kid with glasses and Hikaru stared at him in confusion.

"Shindo, this is the kid you are always talking about Tsutsui?" Said the other kid, he was ratter tall, had spiked hair and was wearing baggy clothes, he had a fan half out in his pocket and he reminded Hikaru of some guys in china.

Tsutsui got up and glared at the other boy "Yes, he is, and I think is time for you to go Kaga!"

Kaga frowned and advanced threateningly at the other kids "Oh no! I came all the way here, so you are going to go with me and register to the bloody tournament!"

"I can't!"

"Why the hell not!"

"I told you I can't register a team of one person!"

"Well then get two more!"

"I tried you Idiot!"

"Idi…! You little peace of…"

Hikaru was starting to have a headache, a very bad one, he didn't understand what was going on but he had a bad presentiment about the whole stuff…

"Agh! Kaga let me go!" Yelled Tsutsui when the other kid grabbed him at the collar of his shirt, and Hikaru was torn between helping his friend and get back to his apartment before he was somehow involved in the thing.

"STOP!" His heroic side won so he pushed Kaga of the smaller boy again and glared for good measure, instantly he regretted it because Kaga was now looking at him with a calculating gaze.

"You said he knew how to play didn't you Tsutsui" He said with a soft voice and a growing glint in his eyes that had Hikaru really worried.

"Uhm yes….so?" Asked Tsutsui and then Kaga grabbed him like a sack of potatoes and got to the door.

"That's it we have three participants! Done! Now hurry before they close the registering!"

"WHAT! NO! Let me down! Kaga wait! He isn't even in our school! Let me go!"

"Ah details….simple details!" Said Kaga and then closed the door leaving a gaping and pale Hikaru behind. He heard as the shouting became fainter until he could no longer hear a thing.

"_I KNEW IT! IT'S YOUR ENTIRE FAULT YOU STUPID!" _He screamed at Sai and the ghost shrunk at the yell. "Now Hikaru don't overreact…"

"OVERREACT! I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT IS OVERREACT!"

Push the button...push the button...Go!

Thanks to:

Barranca, Nanashi Bakemono, Coiling Death, Xiar, Rose Kitsune.EXE, Vuurvlieg (I'm deeply intrigued by your nickname) , Nigth-Owl123, distant6, Chen, Kinlin child of Youma, thuyhy-thuyhy.


	6. Hide and seek

Okay people, there seem to be some confusion about dialogue so here we go again…

"_Bla bla bla bla BLA BLABLA" -- _Thoughts or mind speech between Sai and Hikaru.

HIKARU Doesn't TALK but he CAN he just don't want to

"**blablablabla" **Memories or dreams.

That out of the way let's continue :)…

**Chapter 6: Hide and seek**

Sunday came sunny and bright, a very clear day that promised cheerful moments, however for one Hikaru Shindo the day looked especially horrible, for one Fujiwara no Sai the day promised a lot of anguish and yells for him.

"_It's too big_" Said the child as he stared at the huge uniform he was wearing now; it was the uniform from Tsutsui's school, all in black and with high necked collar. The child had put on a cap and had used removable costume paint in his hair making it a slightly greenish-black; it would wear off with water or so claimed the package……

All his bangs were pulled to the front hiding effectively his eyes, all in all he looked ridiculous in his opinion.

"_It looks okay"_ Commented Sai and he received a glare from the child in response. _"No, I'm going to trip over this thing….and how I'm suppose to play over a board with this sleeves! And I can't see a damn thing with this hair, and this stuff really smells strange… No, I can't! I just can't Sai!_" The last was said with such desperation that the ghost cringed. But his child needed to get over his fears; it was a good opportunity to start…it really was…

"_It's only a school tournament Hikaru, I'm sure you will have fun…what if we play a game?" _Asked the man playfully, the child looked at him questioningly_ "A game?"_ he asked _"Yes, Before each match starts I will tell you the outcome and you will play the game in order to arrange such result, even if it is losing, of course you opponent cannot know what you're doing"_

Hikaru considered the "game" and then a spark grew in his eyes _"It could be difficult…"_

"_Of course you don't need to do it; you can always refuse my challenge…" _Said the ghost smiling condescendingly_ "After all if you can't do it then is perfectly fine…"_

"_I can! You have a deal, but if I can do all the games then you are going to dance like a chicken!" _Grinned the child _"Of course if you have the courage_"

Sai smiled _"It's a deal then"_ The child smiled and Sai sighed relieved, the challenge ought to make Hikaru occupied and focused, and it only was a small tournament between children, what could happen?

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Could the universe hate him so much! Of all the schools, halls, parks and salons, why? Why the tournament had to take place on _his_ school.

"Shindo! Over here!" Yelled a voice and Hikaru flattened himself against the wall in a vain attempt to disappear, he glared at the offending yeller. Didn't he know that a very essential part of the incognito stuff is to not call the person's name!

"I'm sorry it just slipped, it's difficult to call you a different name, but Kaga put this name soo….You're late you know?" Said a slightly pale Tsutsui and Hikaru glared again and the other child looked a little uncomfortable, "Uhm…you don't have to do this…I mean you didn't even offered yourself, it was that idiot of Kaga…it's not your problem, and well I'm sorry…I tried to talk to you all week but…"

Hikaru nodded a little ashamed himself; he had been avoiding the other child all week. He looked at the other kid, he was squirming with a book and looked definitely nervous, Hikaru had seen that book too many times the other child seemed unable to play a game without it but he was gripping the thing with such force that it was beginning to crumple, he felt the same kind of empathy for the kid that he had felt when he had met him.

"Look….I will just distract Kaga and you can get out of here, I know you don't like this stuff and…" Hikaru stopped the rambling with a raised hand and a wide grin and made raised his thumb.

"Are you sure?...We can always…It's not that important…" Hikaru patted the others' boy shoulder and went to watch the room leaving a confusing Tsutsui behind.

"Oh great, so the cricket did came!" Said Kaga and Tsutsui glared at him "Well, if I had been him I wouldn't have come!"

"Uh? And why not?" Said nonchalantly Kaga and the other kid glared again "Because he don't like big places! He don't like being with a lot of people! He gets all nervous when we go to crowed places…! I shouldn't be telling you this…"

Kaga was looking at him seriously for once and opened his fan with a thoughtful expression "I didn't knew that…look, if things get bad I will get him out of here, we didn't even registered as Shindo Hikaru so it should be all right…"

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"It wasn't like that!"

"Of course it was!"

"You're just…Fix it!"

"Well why you don't fix it!" Hikaru stared at the shouting match, they had been playing and then one of the players had moved a few stones with his elbow then had arranged the mess…incorrectly…and then a discussion had issued, and now they were being reprimanded by their Sensei. They seemed awfully distressed over the whole stuff so the child grabbed the stones and started to fix them one by one, following the exact order of the movements. Behind him a man stared at him with an inquisitive glance.

"Shin…Eh… Shinohara, were going to start.." Whispered Tsutsui and Hikaru nodded frowning at the choice of name. They were seated at the very back of the room and Hikaru stared at the room feeling strangely calm. Maybe it was because there were only kids…

"Okay so cricket here is third board, Tsutsui you're second and I, of course, am the first Capitan" Said Kaga fawning himself. A bald man gave a speech, as in all tournaments, and then the games started. Hikaru bowed silently and the other kid frowned at him.

"You have to greet your opponent!" Said the other kid and Hikaru blushed and dug his head "Hey I'm talking to you!"

"Leave it Satoru, the poor kid don't seems to be a big deal, maybe he don't even know the proper greeting" Said the second board and Hikaru felt his ears reddening but this time in anger. How dare them!.

"_Calm down Hikaru, answer them with your Go"_ Said Sai and Hikaru nodded earning an odd look from his opponent.

"_Fifty moku…"_ Whispered Sai _"What?" _Asked the child resisting the urge to turn around and stare. Sai just smiled at him and signaled the board _"Don't you remember our game? Win for fifty moku"_

"_B-but how?_" Hikaru looked at the board with unease. How could he just…

"_You can Hikaru, concentrate, read deeper into the game, you must anticipate your opponent's moves and your own, and when you can see them, then you must create your own path, move in a way that you lead your opponent to do what you want_."

"_Are you crazy? I can't do that!_" The child frowned but Sai merely laughed _"Of course you can, this child should be an easy practice partner, but you can't make any mistakes Hikaru, the most important part of all this is to never let your opponent realize what you are doing."_

The child bit his bottom lip and nodded, he could do it, and he would not let down Sai. He grabbed the stone and started playing.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"I'm leaving then" Said Akira to his mother. It was a nice day. He started walking to the station lost in his thought, he faintly heard someone calling his name so he stopped, and in front of him was a red car that he knew all too well.

"Ogata-san!" The pro waved lazily "Are you going to school Akira?" He said eyeing the white uniform and the child nodded. "Yes, I…well there's going to be a tournament and the principal asked me to come and take a look"

The pro sneered "To try and enroll you in some pathetic go club?" Akira nodded and stared at the man, who sighed and motioned for the child to get in the car. "Well let's go then, I'll accompany you, it will be in my conscience if they manage to get you, it's bad enough that you don't join the pros, no need to make you suffer trough hours of low level playing." Huffed the man.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Kaga stared at the board in front of him; this kid really, really was a bad player, too rash, oh well…

"Uh…"Said the bright kid when he made his move and Kaga sighed, it was going to be too long a day…why was he doing this? Oh yes to stop the eternal complains of certain four eyes…He looked at his right side and felt his temper rising; Tsutsui had his ridiculous book with him and was reading earnestly from it, he snatched it from him.

"Hey!" Yelled the boy and Kaga instantly got even more furious. "That's mine!"

"Oh believe me I'm to trying to keep this crap! What are you doing with this" He said waving the book in front of his face "It's not against the rules!"

"The rul…Who said anything about the rules! I'm talking about you reading while you should be playing! Stop it! This only makes you play in a predictable way and made mistakes!" Said the older boy and Tsutsui glared at him.

"Uhm…excuse me, are going to keep playing?" Asked one of the boys of the other team and Kaga silenced him with a glare.

"This" He said waving the book "Is a mere distraction, it will not help you, now play! Have confidence in your own game" He then pocketed the item and glared at his opponent.

Tsutsui stared at his so called friend and sighed. Could he? Confidence?...He felt a heavy stare at his right and caught Shindo looking at him with a light frown, then he gave a quick look at his board and his eyebrows rose a little, then he stared a little more at him and Tsutsui felt as if he had been just dressed down like a little kid with just a look. Shindo then huffed and returned to his game.

Tsutsui looked at his own board, why were the two of them so angry? He was playing as always, but when he looked at the board he noticed too many mistakes, mistakes that he would not make in a normal situation, he didn't even remembered doing some of the moves…he had been too occupied…

The game was lost, he could not win like this...He hung his head and resigned in a whisper, a blush of shame spreading on his cheeks, he would never play like this again, ever.!

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

The first round ended and Hikaru sighed, yes now two more games and it would be all over…hopefully…

"Well cricket at least you're a decent player, if not this team would be doomed!" Said Kaga and Hikaru glared at him and stuck his tongue. The other guy merely grinned at him and then started talking again with Tsutsui who looked a bit different from before, something had changed in his friend but Hikaru couldn't say what exactly.

He let his gaze drift around the room and then he looked at his board, he was slightly frustrated, he had just been starting and the other kid had started fumbling and then resigned before Hikaru could make his plan. _"He resigned too soon"_ he complained and heard Sai snickering at his side _"that's because you scared him Hikaru" _When the child looked at him with a puzzled look Sai signaled the board "_You were to forward, you started to attack too directly, cut all his moves and cornered him, if you want to fool your opponent you must be subtle, move cautiously, tricking is an art, you must move slowly or at least you must not make so obvious moves, aggressive ones just get your opponent on their guard."_

Hikaru frowned at a stone in his hand "_I know…it is just…well, I was really trying but his style confused me…He moved in strange places and such…so I had to be blunt"_

Sai then laughed, and the child glared at him "_Hey! It's not funny" _The ghost smiled "_I'm sorry Hikaru, but I forgot that not all children here have a high level, his style wasn't confuse, but unrefined, you're so accustomed to play me and more experienced players that you tried to predict his moves like you would with mine. You must adapt to your opponent, first determine his ability then act." _

Hikaru nodded and looked at his new opponent, determine and then act, yes, he could do that. _"Okay now, why don't we try a comeback? Fall at least thirty moku behind, then try to recuperate."_

"_Thirty! Are you mad?" _Asked the child looking at his opponent gauging him just by sight. "_What if I can't do it? What if I fall too far behind?"_

"_Then I will help you, don't worry"_

Hikaru nodded a bit warily and then bowed.

"You're black Hikaru" Sai Tsutsui and he nodded. Taking a stone he placed it on upper right Kosumi, and Sai smiled at the familiar opening move. "_First watch then Sai?"_

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"What the…?" Said Kaga gripping his fan with a too firm grip. He had seem the last game of the kid, Shindo was his name, it was good, the other opponent had been too crappy to really know but still…this game…

"I resign" Said Tsutsui's opponent and Kaga nodded with satisfaction. Then he returned his glare to the goban in front of him, it wasn't a bad game…it was a massacre! Why was Shindo still playing was beyond him. Each move was careless and he gave up territory without even a small resistance, and yet once in a while he made some right moves.

"How is it?" Said Tsutsui getting behind him and Kaga snorted for all answer, the other kid stared at the board and frowned "What's Shindo doing?"

"He's losing" Answered Kaga, and Tsutsui looked even more perplexed. "No you don't understand, ever since the first day that I met him I haven't been able to defeat him, not once! And I went one day with him to a Go salon and he defeated three people there really quickly.

"Did he?...mmm" Kaga said looking the board and only seeing a terrible sloppy game, perhaps the guy was nervous, or maybe he was just a crappy player, after all not everybody who went to a go salon was a good player, and Tsutsui wasn't that impressive…he cringed when Shindo made a move that practically yelled "Kill me kill me" and the other player grinned taking five stones from the board. He looked at Shindo waiting to see a miserable expression or at least a grimace but he found a slight smile, as if he was telling a really nice joke to himself.

"_What is he thinking, he is being beaten…maybe he is one of those weirdoes who laugh when nervous…" _

Then Shindo's face changed, he got a concentrate look, as if suddenly the whole world had disappeared for him and only the board and his opponent existed…no as if only the board existed, he wasn't playing attention to his opponent anymore, only to the stones as they were positioned…

For the first time in all his life Kaga was speechless, how? When?...

"90.5 to 91.5 White wins for half a moku " Said a voice, but Kaga was still staring at the board, then his eyes rose to watch Shindo's face, he was frowning but not as if he cared about the lose…

"Tsutsui let's go to take some fresh air" He said taking the other kid by the arm and dragging him outside, then he looked at him in the eyes.

"How long do you have know him?" He asked signaling with his thumb the play room. "Uhm…about three months I think…why?"

"Why? Did you just saw what happened there?"

"Well yes he lost, but I'm sure he was just nervous, and he did tried to recuperate at the end…"

Kaga slapped himself on the forehead and then glared again "No, he wasn't playing, he was fooling around the whole game, he just changed his style too dramatically at the end, actually I'm not sure of what I saw…but he wasn't playing seriously I'm sure"

"Well…that's his problem doesn't it" Said Tsutsui feeling protectively towards the other kid "Look, leave him alone Ok? He hates when people starts questioning him, is bad enough that he is mute"

Kaga stared at him "He is mute?"

"Yes, and you better don't make fun of it!" Said the kid with glasses and the stormed back to the room, a thoughtful Kaga behind him. "But, don't you are curious about his real strength?" Tsutsui stopped and looked at Shindo who was again playing with some stones and with that vague look he sometimes got, as if he was in deep ponder with himself.

"Well I…look just leave him alone Ok? This is his school you know, if somebody discovers him then he might be in trouble."

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"_Told you…"_

"_It was only half a moku Hikaru, you'll do better, you just waited too much, and you still are making moves too obvious, its not the same to make mistakes to give your opponent advantage that to lead him"_

"_Oh, so you're now a master of deviousness?" _Said Hikaru with a smirk and puffed out his chest in an arrogant manner, _"Of course"_

"_Well next time I will try harder…"_

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Akira looked around the room, it was a really good number of kids, he looked at the table at the front and the panel behind it, and it was already the final rounds.

"How long do you have to be here?" Asked an already bored Ogata and Akira smiled a bit "Not much, I think until I can speak with the person in charge of the go club, the principal said that his name was Sensei Yun."

"Yun? Not Japanese then?"

"I don't know Ogata-san I haven't had the chance of meeting him" Said the child an Ogata stared at him, sometimes he just tended to forget that Toya Akira was but a child, he behaved so calm and docile all the time that he tended to consider him just a very short young man. But here, in his uniform and surrounded by other kids he seemed so young…and yet his eyes told another story, Akira would never belong to the world of children.

"Well why don't you search for this Yun Sensei, I will be looking at the games, it's been ages since I have been at an event like this…"

"Ogata-san did you used to play in school tournaments?" Asked Toya trying to picture Ogata-san as a kid and failing. "Well no, but my brother used to and I went to see him several times, I think that is how my interest in Go started" Said the man with something akin to nostalgia and Akira swallowed the river of questions that wanted to get out his mouth. He then spotted a tall man with a suit that he had seen several times in the school, "Uhm Yun Sensei?" Asked Toya.

"Yes, may I help you?"

"Yes, I'm here because the principal wanted me to watch this tournament, and he told me you would be able to guide me" The other man smiled gently at him and signaled the board.

"Are you interested in joining the club then?" Akira fidgeted but smiled "Actually I'm not sure but I promised to look…"

"Well then, our team reached the finals, why don't you watch their game? Maybe that way you can get and idea of our Go." Said the man signaling at a large table at the center of the room, and Akira nodded.

A large crowd was already around the large table and the pro went to one side behind a short kid while Akira continued conversing with the Sensei.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Really, it was not a wonder that the Go in Japan was in such a state, if this was the future…He stopped behind a kid with a too large shirt and a black cap, didn't the boy knew that it was impolite to wear such a thing inside a room? And such a shabby clothes, he could not understand the kids and their clothes tendencies.

"_Really a bleak future" _he mused as he stared at the board, the kid with the cap made a move that was too harsh and left a large gap to his opponent, but then the other kid didn't noticed the opportunity and instead attacked the upper corner, and Ogata had to clench his jaw to stop the sharp comment. But the kid from Akira's school seemed somewhat decent…but still not good enough for an Insei…

The kid with the cap let out a small sigh as if disappointed and Ogata felt a little urge of curiosity, why would he be disappointed? Perhaps he was trying to sabotage his team? but then this were the semifinals he had had already another game for doing so… _"This proves to be interesting"_ The game continued in the same fashion until the kid at the far left suddenly stood up, the first board it seemed, looked at his partner and frowned, then he looked at the third board and glared. Ogata looked around as if surveying the room but got a little closer, just in time to hear the kid whispering to his schoolmate.

"Hey cricket, I didn't want to tell you this before because Tsutsui didn't want to, but I just lost, and the only way for Tsutsui to make his club is to win this tournament…You know how hard he has been working for it, don't you?" At this the other child stopped playing and bit his lip and then nodded. "And well that's not all…the guys on the shougi club are really mad because their president is spending so much time in Go, and if we don't win they might kick Tsutsui's ass" The other kid hunched even more at this but the other kid didn't seem to care "Okay I'm not pressuring you but it would be nice if you played seriously, show me your real strength!" The kid with the cap hung his head and Ogata could see his neck reddening, perhaps for being discovered?

The other kid straightened and smirked with confidence and Ogata raised a brow at him, then his gaze went back to the kid in the cap, he was toying with a stone in nervous manner and then his shoulder straightened and suddenly he seemed more imposing, or as imposing as a small kid with baggy clothes could look, and the man had a sudden urge to look at his face, but the cap and large bangs of black hair blocked his vision.

"_Sai…I think that I should play seriously now, you don't care if we stop the lesson oh great master of deceitfulness?"_ Asked the kid and Sai smiled "_You can do both, I want for you to make him resign as soon as you can, full attack Hikaru"_

"_Go for the kill?"_

"_Exactly"_

"Ookay"

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Akira watched as the first board resigned and Kaio won the first game, the second board was still struggling and seemed almost done, then he spotted Ogata-san at the far end, looking at the third board with a too serious expression, the first capitan was whispering something to the third one, then he straightened and smirked, and Ogata gave him an raised eyebrow.

The child passed trough the crowd and stood behind the pro, and then he looked at the board and frowned, the shape was strange, too chaotic…why was Ogata-san so interested, but as the game progressed the man was looking more and more intrigued, so Akira tried to read deeper into the game, then the player with the black cap made a move that made Akira gasp in recognition…

"_It looked…just for a little while…but..." _The hands became more and more aggressive, and Akira was frozen to his spot, this style of playing was very similar…could it be a coincidence? ...maybe…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"_I…I resign…" _Hikaru sighed and grinned and then started searching for his teammates, he looked into the crowd and froze, there, watching him like an eagle ready to grab a especially succulent fish, was Toya Akira, what was _he_ doing here! He searched wildly or Kaga and he saw as Toya came closer, he saw Kaga talking to Tsutsui at his left and he bolted to their side.

"Shindo! We won! What, what's wrong?" Asked Tsutsui, Shindo signaled behind him at the approximating Toya and then signaled his neck in a theatrical fashion. "Oh...Oh! Did he recognized you!"

Hikaru nodded and then started waving his hands in an alarming speed "Okay, cricket, we will stop him, get out now" Said Kaga and pushed him into the crowd, Hikaru ducked under a table and then sprinted to the exit, grabbing his cap for dear life.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Hikaru kept running until he reached the bottom floor, then he got of his jacket and stuffed it inside his backpack, he got off the large slacks and also stuffed them inside, glad for wearing a pair of shorts under them, he left the cap and walked rapidly to the exit, he only relaxed when he got to the street.

"Excuse me, do you know were the Go tournament is taking place?" Called a deep voice and Hikaru peaked under his cap, it was a man in a pale suit, he was looking at him too intently he shrugged his shoulders in an apologetic way and started walking. But the other man grabbed his arm and Hikaru stared at him in fright.

"What's your name kid?"

"_Hikaru! Remember what we practiced!" _Sai called and the child kicked the man in the shin and then pushed him with all his strength the man grabbed his backpack and the child wriggled out of it and ran away not bothering to turn back.

"Wait! Kid!" Yelled the man and started running behind him, the child had crossed the street and a second later he was lost in the mob of people. Ogata cursed and looked at the bag in his hand.

"Ogata-san!" He turned around and saw Akira running to him. "Did you saw a kid running here? The one who was playing third board!" Ogata was deeply surprised at the desperate tone of the child; even more at agitate body language.

"Yes…actually I tried to talk to him but the child got all frightened, I think he thought I was a Kid-kidnapper and he left me wit this" He said waving the pack, it was open so all its contents spilled to the floor, the uniform, a package of cookies, some coins and a small piece of wood that Ogata recognized as a small foldable goban, the kind that was given to small kids as a toy.

"It was him…." Murmured Akira and Ogata looked at him, the child was staring at the goban and kneeling, then he took the toy into shaking hands, he opened it and an assemble of pins and needles was revealed, only half of them looked like they originally belonged to the game.

"Ogata-san where he went!" The child closed the toy and grabbed it with such strength that Ogata thought that it might break. More and more intrigued he signaled to the crowed street behind him "I lost him there, I don't think you would be able to catch him, he was really fast…Akira, do you know this kid?"

Toya seemed taken back and stared at the goban in his hands, then shook his head. "No…I thought…I think that I misplaced him…Uhm…I really should get back home, mother will be waiting for me"

"I will take you there, give me the toy I will give all to his teammates or to the committee, they should return this to him"

Ogata watched with satisfaction how the knuckles of the kid turned white as he grabbed the goban, he seemed to be ready to argue but then he nodded and gave him the toy. He put all the stuff inside, and then closed the bag, noticing all the time the eyes of the child in the bag.

"Wait me at the parking, I will return this" Akira nodded still looking longingly at the bag and Ogata got inside the building just in time to see the other two players in the black uniform, one of them caught sight of the backpack and paled considerably. They came into his way with that look so inherent of guilty kids.

"Excuse, eh sir did you find that lying around?" Sai the kid with glasses pointing the bag. "Yes, a kid was running and dropped it; do you know the owner of this?"

The older boy stared at the ceiling seemingly uncaring about the whole situation, while the other kid squirmed "Eh…yes he is our teammate, his name is Shinohara sir. I can give it to him"

"No, no, I would be too preoccupied about this, if you would kindly give his address then I cant take this to him, otherwise something may happen and I would be entirely responsible…"

"Oh…well it's just that I-I don't know where he lives…."

"Oh that's a pity then, perhaps his telephone number then?"

"No, he doesn't have one, I mean he had one but it had an accident and he is without telephone right now" Ogata saw the older kid smack himself in the face with his fan and had to suppress a smirk. "Well then I will give you an address, it's a go salon, I will be there next Sunday all day, maybe your friend can come and pick his bag, I would give you my telephone number but you see mine also had a most unusual accident, perhaps is for the weather, something in the air maybe, well thank you for your help" He gave the child a card with Toya's meijin go salon direction and turned around, when he came to his car Akira was still brooding and the man smiled a little bit, yes, he had made the right decision, this child was worthy of investigation, when the child saw the backpack still in his hand looked surprised.

"I could not find his teammates, and the organizers didn't had his address" At the last part Akira's eyes seemed to sharpen and the man suddenly felt involved in an even deeper mystery.

"_Next Sunday then…are you going to come?"_


	7. Lying, cheating, deceiving

**I made it!!!!!! **

Yeah, it's been ages SORRY SORRY SORRY. But it's finally revised. I'm sure that there are still errors (pointing them to me helps) but I think that now there are less of them.

Now, finally here it comes…… (Cheering please…)

**Chapter 7: Lying, cheating, deceiving. **

It was raining, not too heavy; more like a small curtain of small drops, small but cold drops, and the kind that somehow always manages to get through clothes faster than a normal rain. People hurried through the streets not wanting to wait for the rain to stop, the street lamps being the only source of light by then.

_"Let's go back…" _

Definitely not a time for a kid to be wandering alone trough the streets. And if that kid had a real terror of the night, then it was a very bad idea.

_"No.." _

Not even if the kid in question had a good motive for doing such a thing.

_"Hikaru…please…" _

_"No!" _

Not even if the worry and sadness was stronger that any terror to the shadows of the night, or the creatures that roamed it, real and imagined.

_"It's not here Sai….he…the man…he took it…"_ Finally sobbed the child, hiding his face in the crook of his arm, staining the white shirt with black-greenish hair paint, at least the package had been true on his word, the paint was now in the child's face, and in his clothes, but not in his hair.

_"Hikaru…." _

_"I knew it! I told you something bad was bound to happen!...and now…it's lost!!" _

Sai cringed at the broken whisper, he felt useless, he wanted to be able to help his little boy …if only he wasn't like this…

_"Let's go home little brother…"_ Whispered the ghost and surprised eyes stared at him. _"What did you say?"_ Also whispered the child, goban forgotten for the moment, Sai stared back, also surprised at his own words.

_"Do…do you mean it?"_ Said Hikaru with a small voice, his arms where bracing his own body, shoulders hunched and eyes bright and searching, he was scared Sai knew, scared of being pushed away.

Sai kneeled gracefully and stared at the child warmly _"I do consider you part of my family, my own hard headed little brother" _

_"I'm not little…"_ Said Hikaru with a small frown and Sai laughed _"No, of course not, you're just short for your age" _

_"I'm not!!!"_ Glared Hikaru but then he hung his head staring at his shoes _"I too…you know?, I consider you my friend, my family…" _

_"I know…" _

Hikaru smiled warmly _"Let's go home, dad will be mad enough as it is…"_ He said at last, he looked around once more, but the street remained empty, he rubbed his eyes feeling a little better. At least he had Sai, his brother, his friend, and he would never go away, even if years and years passed…Sai, nobody could take him away, not even death because he was a ghost already, he could keep going, as long as Sai remained at his side, he would be okay.

They would be together _forever._

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"Shindo!!" Tsutsui was outside his door, looking very pale and more than a little shaken, Hikaru groaned, he didn't want to talk to the boy.

"Shindo, I was so worried, I thought… well…here this is yours" Said at last the boy extending a piece of paper to him, in large letters announced the first place. Hikaru frowned at it, it wasn't his name… it wasn't him…

"Hikaru!!" Called an angry voice from his right and Shindo Masao came through the door with a very angry expression. "Where were you? Do you know what time it is?" Called the man and then he took a look at his child's appearance and his glare went up a notch, "You're all wet! And what is all that paint? What have you been doing this late?!!"

"Sir, Shindo, he was with me…I'm truly sorry, he accompanied me to a school event and we got separated and Shindo is still not used to travel alone in that part of the city…I'm sorry…" Said hurriedly Tsutsui and bowed deeply, the man huffed and nodded.

"All right, good night Tsutsui-kun, you should better go home"

"Ah!, Shindo, here! A man got your bag, he said that you can get it at this direction" Said the child giving Hikaru a folded piece of paper, Hikaru stared at the paper and then at Tsutsui. He was dragged inside the apartment, and then he found himself in the bathroom. How did he get there?.

_"Sai…You don't think that maybe it is a different man than…" _

_"No" _

_"Yeah, I also don't think so…._

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"So… why should I do it?"

"Because he helped us!!!!"

Tsutsui prized himself for being patient, very, _very _patient, but when Kaga was

involved he just…

"Please?" He finally whispered, defeated "He, is a good kid, and he is very, very afraid of that man, I don't know why, so don't ask, but he helped me…" Sai Tsutsui and then yelped when Kaga's fan hit him on the head.

"Yeah, okay no need to get all dramatic, I, the great, marvelous Lord Kaga shall help you, just give me some time to think, this should not be harder than the prank we played with Asuma-Sensei…."

"T-that was you?!!" Asked Tsutsui gaping at the other kid, the prank had passed as a historic moment in the school, more a myth for the younger students. Kaga smiled and nodded proudly.

"Oh yes, that was me….so yes, just let me think…" He answered absentmindedly fanning himself, then a very frightening glint started to grow in his eyes, a glint that made Tsutsui shiver.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

_"HELP GRANDPA!!! HE NEEDS HIS MEDICINE!!!!" _

_"Shut up you brat, you're going to wake up all the neighbors!" The other man backhanded Heiachi and Hikaru fell silent. His grandpa was now sprawled on the floor, his face red, he seemed to be in pain. _

_"Please..." _

_The man got closer to him, he dragged him to his grandpa side and then he leaned closer. _

_"Let's try again, NOT A SOUND!. Do you hear me?, If you move, scream or even try to get up I will know it!" His breath was foul and the child nodded, sweat on his brow and back, cold sweat that was making him shiver. _

_The man kicked his grandpa and then stepped on the pill, leaving a white smear on the wooden floor. _

_They were laughing again, that man was still whispering in his hear, he could feel the foul breath it was warm and tick like he had imagined a monsters' would be, he was a monster… _

_"…remember brat….. Not a sound…I will know." _

_He nodded and the pressure in his wrists banished, they were still laughing, he felt so cold. They were leaving… the heavy steps were leaving; he must move…..his grandpa…. _

_He opened his eyes and felt colder. He opened his mouth to scream but not a sound came out. _

**_"…I will know…." _**

_"HIKARU! WAKE UP!!"_ Sai? Yes it was Sai?, Why was he worried?, so cold, it hurt, his throat, it hurt... Sai looked really sad, It was his fault?.

_"Shh... It was a dream, go back to sleep"_ Dream?, Oh, He was dreaming?, he didn't...

_"Sleep" _Sai, he was such a good friend… so tired... Maybe he could remember in the morning…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Ramen had always been Hikaru's favorite food, forever, even in China. But now, seated in front of the largest bowl of ramen he had ever seen he was anything but hungry.

"Didn't you say that it was his favorite?"

"Uh, uh"

"Then why is he not eating?"

-Not hungry- read Hikaru's notepad. And the other boys stared at him. They were currently in a Ramen shop that Kaga said was the best. After the incident of the tournament Kaga had been behaving like an overprotective mother hen, of course while insulting and molesting the child at the same time.

Now, Hikaru, Tsutsui and Kaga were still plotting (or so claimed the older boy) about how to get back the bag from the evil man in the white suit.

Tsutsui sighed and then took out a large notebook, he then started scribing furiously, once in a while grunting and growling.

"If you're done with that cheap imitation of a pup, then please tell us, what are you doing?"

Tsutsui glared at the boy and left his notebook. "I... well I have been thinking, and it is Wednesday already and we don't really have a plan." He said "And no, Kaga, storming there dressed as robber is not going to work." He added when the other boy opened his mouth.

"Well, neither walking there and asking nicely is going to work" Said Kaga in a bored voice.

"So that leaves us in the same place..."

Hikaru kept his head down playing with the noodles on his bowl. They had been making up excuses, tales, and even planning to just knick the bag from the man, but all the ideas had been discarded.

Kaga eyed the small boy and growled, while he liked to bother the brat, he didn't like the idea of a grown man doing it, it was just... upsetting. He looked at the street and the opposite building and then he remembered something "Hey! I know a cheap go saloon near here!"

Hikaru perked up at this, his eyes curios, he didn't know any go salon in Tokyo, and he missed going to them.

Tsutsui caught the change in humor of his friend and quickly got up. "Yeah! It should be fun!"

While Kaga led them to the salon, Hikaru felt a twinge of nostalgia, the place was small and underground, it smell like cigar and tea, he had never felt more at home. Three tables were occupied; one by two very old men who kept glaring at each other more that looking at the board, in the table next to them was two middle aged men deeply engrossed in their match, the third board was slightly different there was a middle aged man and a boy that seemed to be about his same age, if a slightly older, he had orange hair and was wearing a colorful scarf and a pair of black glasses.

"Three?"

"Yeah..."

Hikaru went to see the match of the boy, and so did Kaga, while Tsutsui read the new edition of go-weekly.

"Oh, another brat, good, good" Said Kaga and Hikaru glared at him. The game was almost even and it seemed that both were decent players, specially the boy, he was nowhere at the same level as Toya but he was definitely good.

The man grunted and made his next move. The boy tensed after that, he bit his lip and frowned at the board, the man grinned. Hikaru could feel the tension of the match; it was now the man who led the game.

"Oh, oh... he is finished, finished I tell you!" Said Kaga without bothering with keeping his voice down. The boy glanced at him and glared at him. Kaga grinned at him.

The game continued to yose. The counting of territory began and then Hikaru saw for the second time of his life how somebody cheated.

_"Sai... he, did he?" _

_"Yes, he moved that stone just now... he added to his territory..."_ Said the ghost in a whisper and stared at the child in sadness.

When the counting ended the boy won by 0.5 moku and the man laughed. "Ah! So close, you got better again Mitani-kun!! Soon and I won't be able to win you anymore!" The man gave the boy a bill and ruffled his hair. Mitani smiled at him. "It was just luck..."

"Luck?, no, no. You're a good player. Oh! I'm late. Well goodbye Mitani-kun." The man smiled again to the boy and left.

"Oh! You're a very good player!. Tell me, would you play with me?" Kaga seated himself on the other chair and smiled innocently, or as innocently as he could, at the other boy. Mitani stared at him and then at Hikaru and finally grinned.

"Sure, however I don't play for free. Wanna bet?" Said the boy putting on the table the same bill that the man had just given him. Kaga smiled and put another bill beside the board. "Deal!, So, Nigiri?"

Hikaru bit his lip, the two boys started playing at once, Kaga's playing was a little bit off, and the other kid was once in a while peering at the older boy, as if measuring him.

Mitani captured two stones and retrieved them from the board, but as he went to put them with the captured stones, Kaga grabbed his hand and twisted it, the boy opened his hand and three stones fell on the side of the board. Kaga grinned at him "So, cheating are we?"

The other boy scowled at him and made to leave but Kaga grabbed him harder and the boy winced and went limp, still scowling. "What do you want?! Take the money and leave me alone!!"

"Oh, no, no" Said Kaga still grinning "It won't be so easy, but yes, I will make you pay. Let's say a favor for me?"

"And If I don't?" Glared at him Mitani, his arm was really hurting and this boy was starting to make him nervous.

"Well, then I will be obliged to denounce you to all the go salons, you must understand that as a responsible player it's my duty to do so?" Said the boy and Mitani paled and his glare went up a notch. He then peered at the counter where and old man was chatting with Tsutsui and finally sighed.

"Fine!, Now let me go!"

"Oh, no, no" Said Kaga still grinning " You have two options: one, you come with me and do me a favor; nothing horrible mind you, or I can tell this good man and all the other go saloons what you have been doing" Mitani paled and glanced at the old man and then glared at Kaga. He stood up and nodded awkwardly.

Kaga got up and grabbed the boy by the shoulder, and gesturing to the other to follow him, they went out, the boy with the glasses was glaring openly at the fourth boy.

"Kaga what… ?"

"Not here" He said and Tsutsui frowned but complied with him. Kaga had that glint that usually led to the kind of things like the tournament idea.

Once in the street Kaga opened his fan and with a pompous air announced "Gentlemen, our plan is ready!"

Mitani looked in confusion at the trio and the trio looked back, two in confusion and one in glee.

"Whatever is it I won't do anything illegal!!"

"Oh, no" Said Kaga in mock surprise "We would never ask you to do something more morally incorrect that you are accustomed"

The other boy blushed and leaned against the wall "You know what I mean… I… I may be a cheater but I won't…"

"Yes, yes, do we look like assassins?" Kaga poked the other boy in the chest and grinned "What I will ask of you is just within your abilities"

"Tsutsui glared at Kaga " You are not thinking on involving that boy?"

"Yes" Grinned Kaga

"No! How can we trust him?! Maybe he won't even show up!"

"Yes he will if he wants to keep playing here. And he is exactly what we need!"

The boy with the bright orange hair glared at Tsutsui and came closer to him "Look. I said I would do it! I Mitani Yuki give my word!!"

"That's what I'm talking about!! How can we trust your word!!" Said the boy with glasses and Mitani glared at him harder.

"Just tell me where AND I WILL BE THERE"

"Excellent! That's the spirit we need!" Grinned Kaga he scribbled an address in a piece of paper and gave it to the boy "Meet me here on Saturday and I will give you instructions."

Mitani grabbed the paper and with a last glare at Tsutsui he left.

"Kaga…" Said Tsutsui trying to make the other boy see sense.

"Hush you! I'm plotting… yes…" He pointed at Hikaru with his fan "You! Go home. You!" He said pointing Tsutsui "Come with me, we must do some research of the enemy's territory"

"Kaga!!! Wait!!!"

Hikaru watched as Kaga dragged the other boy and he waved at Tsutsui, but the other kid was too busy trying to escape Kaga's grip to see him. Hikaru glanced back at the closed door of the salon. The first time he had seen someone cheating had been on Sai's memories.

_"It's another way to kill a game isn't? For both players…" _

Sai stared at the child and nodded sadly "Go is a game based on trust, you trust your opponent. To do his best, to fight you with all his ability, to teach you and to receive knowledge from you."

_"If, if he continues like this… will he become like that man, the one who cheated you?" _

_"I think so… yes."_ Said Sai in a small voice. _"However, like this…Like I am now, I can't do anything." _

Hikaru frowned and bit his lip_. "I can… I don't know how, but… I promise that I will try!" _

Sai stared once more at his little brother and smiled at him.

_"Thank you" _

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

The go salon looked normal enough, no like the haunting place he had imagined. Hikaru stared at Tsutsui, now dressed with colorful baggy clothes (Kaga's old ones) and then he glanced at a fuming Mitani who was wearing the same kind of uniform he had used on the tournament. It had turned out that Mitani was also a Kaze student, but the uniform he was wearing belonged to Kaga so it was still big on him. He looked like a completely different person; however, it was more the small detail of his now black hair and cap that really made the difference.

"It's not going to work…" Whined Hikaru and Sai nodded behind his fan.

A rumbling noise announced the arrival of Kaga, he was driving his bike and wearing the same uniform as Mitani, his ever present fan on his pocket. He grinned when he saw Mitani. "Oh so you really came! I was worried."

Mitani made a noise between a snort and a growl and advanced to Kaga "This is a lousy plan, you know? It's not going to work!" Tsutsui and Hikaru nodded as well but Kaga just smiled.

"Hush now, I know that this level of planning is beyond your young minds, but, this is so going to work!" Kaga watched his clock and nodded "The man said 10:30, and now is 9:30, Tsutsui and the little mongrel will go first and play someone, you know get mixed. Then when the man in the suit enters Tsutsui will call me to my cell, then we will proceed as planned. Okay men, let's go!"

Hikaru stared at Kaga and suddenly had a very bad feeling about the plan, the kind you usually feel when someone tells you to jump from a cliff and assures you that no, it isn't too high….

Hikaru nodded hesitantly and entered the place, a young woman was at the counter and they paid the fee, Tsutsui asked for a game to a man who was seated near the door and Hikaru went to a table behind some plants, he could still see the door and the room but he was not visible unless close inspection.

He fingered some stones, his heart was hammering in his chest. He was not feeling too well, and his eyes felt heavy, lately he was very tired in the mornings.

"Excuse me. Are you waiting for somebody?" Hikaru lifted his face and saw a very old man looking amiably at him, he shook his head and the man seated himself in the other chair. "Well I am, waiting I mean. What about a game with this old man?"

Hikaru nodded and smiled at him, yes, what damage a game could do?

"Excellent!"

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

Ogata stared at the pair of boys on the entrance of the salon and smirked.

"Good afternoon"

**TBC**

First, I must thank to all the people who helped me pointing mistakes, THANKS and hugs.

Second, to all who kept reminding me that this fic is still WIP, I WILL finish it I promise.

Third, NEXT CHAPTER… I'm already working on it. It should be ready soon (don't you love summer break?)


	8. Rebirths

Warning: ANGST!!! A lot of it!!!

**Chapter 8: Rebirths**

Toya Akira sighed and stared at the plant in front of him, like he had been doing for the past twenty minutes, and he was sick of it. He was waiting for his father to finish an interview for go weekly.

A door opened, and three men came out, his father at the end. One of them kept stealing glances to him as if with the intention to speak to him, but soon they said their farewells and his father motioned for him to follow.

"Are you done father?" Asked Toya and his father nodded absently. "I'm going to the go saloon, I have an appointment there."

Toya got up and followed his father.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

**Two weeks before…. **

"I tell you, we have to find this kid!" Said Ashiwara to his companion, who stared back. "And who, may I ask, is "we"?"

Ashiwara sighed and pushed his cup of tea to the left and then to the right, watching the now cold liquid sloshing. "You promised! And you can't deny that you're interested." Yes, he was very interested in this mysterious child. However, he had his own mystery. The child of the tournament. There was so little new talent, new blood was needed, in Ogata's opinion the old men in the top needed to be removed, and for that they needed new players. Akira was of course one, but one wasn't enough.

And if they found this mysterious kid of Ashiwara…

"We just might get a new wave…"

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5**

"Good afternoon" Said Ogata with a smile and stared at the two children in front of him. Black hair, the same cap, pale skin… for not the first time Ogata cursed his inability to properly remember faces, not that he had seen the child's face clearly…

"Good afternoon sir. My name is Shinohara Amano and this is my little brother, we believe that you have something that belongs to my brother?"

Ogata looked to one kid and then to the other, looking for similarities. Were this two really brothers? "Yes of course, I left it in the building for safe keeping" Smiled Ogata. And signaled the go salon.

"Oh, really? How very thoughtful of you sir! my little brother here was very, very concerned about his wallet and other things in there. You know, ID, school card, arcade games card, very important documents!" Said the taller guy with a bright smile.

"Of course" Replied Ogata with a mocking smile that denoted just how "important" he considered those things.

They entered the building and approached the counter, where a young woman welcomed the group.

"Ogata-san! How delightful to see you. Did you come to get the bag?" Asked the woman and the go player nodded. "Yes, please. However… Now that we are all here, why don't you play with me?"

Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5

Why it was so hard to breathe? Why his neck was so stiff?. Hikaru didn't know, it just was very hard to leave the stones on the board, and as the game advanced the feeling also was increasing. He peeked under his fringe to the old man, but the other had not looked at his face even once after the start of the game, instead his eyes were only looking at the board, not even at the fingers that put the stones on it, only the board, as if his opponent didn't exist at all.

Hikaru looked at the board; he knew what move he should do… however something inside him was against it. It was screaming at him to avoid taking that stone. Shaking fingers grabbed a stone from his bowl and Hikaru heard a slight chuckle, so soft that he almost missed it. It was a mocking laugh; the man was amusing himself with him…

Hikaru looked at the board, really looked at it and felt his face blushing, he was ashamed at was his eyes were seeing, simple mistakes, bad moves, some conscious, some so used that they were almost part of his style now. He suddenly understood what Sai had been saying, he was killing his own Go, and he was so intent of showing himself as a crappy player that it was becoming the reality…

And this man was seeing it, and he was laughing at his game, he was laughing at the game that Sai taught him, and his grandpa…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

Mitani stiffened and looked at Kaga, but the other boy didn't look surprised at all.

"Aw… well sir, we would _love_ to play, but we must really return to home." Apologized Kaga, polite smile still in place. The man gave them the bag and smiled again.

"Don't worry it will be a short game, I was really impressed with your game the other day." He said to Mitani. "I would very much like to play with you"

Kaga glared at the man. And nodded stiffly. Mitani sighed and seated himself. The man smiled and grabbed the bowl of stones.

"Please..."

Mitani grabbed the bowl and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine at the almost feral grin of the man. What had he gotten himself into?

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

Hikaru unclenched his hands and put his cap off. His green eyes sparkling with fury he grabbed a stone and placed it two places above where he had originally planned. The man in front of him smirked and Hikaru felt his temper rising again.

He responded with a well placed hand, intending to cut apart his lower left territory, and Hikaru stared at the board, an idea starting to surge, a path was opening before his eyes, he was almost afraid to blink, he had a vague idea of a plan, it was risky… It was perfect…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

Ogata watched every hand of the boy with rampant attention, analyzing, searching for that glimpse of brilliance that he had watched the other day, as the boy played a poor hand he felt a pang of deception. Well, they were just starting…

Mitani was nervous, and he was never nervous while playing. But also he had never felt this atmosphere, it was… heavy. He could feel the heave gaze, the sharp eyes, and the almost imperceptible tension of the other's shoulder when Mitani moved to make his next move. But above of everything he felt the disapproving eyes at some of his moves.

He suddenly started to think more his moves, to try to play better, he didn't knew why, but this man was judging his game, judging him. All the man attention was in him. He was seeing him as somebody worthy…

No one had ever done that…

Except that… that gaze wasn't for him…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

The old man frowned when Hikaru not only managed to defend his territory but also captured three of his stones. He looked at the kid, really seeing him. He had been bored and the kid looked naïve enough to provide some amusement. Now he looked at the fierce green eyes and smiled, it looked like the boy would be very amusing indeed…

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

Ogata was starting to lose his patience. Was the boy not even trying? Some hands where downright pathetic! Was he just fooling around, like in the tournament?

When the boy fell neatly in one of his traps he stopped the urge to groan and snap at the child. However he did stared hard at his opponent eyes. "Enough!" He whispered and the child stared at him like a surprised cat "Stop fooling around, I want to see your real strength! Show me everything you are, or just give up now!"

The boy looked stunned and then the young face contorted in a frown. The child glared at him and nodded briskly. Ogata smiled.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

The air around him had changed, again. It was even more oppressing now, the old man was almost slamming the stones on the board, the sound hard and dry. And now his eyes were on him… it was a heavy gaze. And the man game had also changed, Hikaru knew he was playing an already lost game, but he couldn't make himself to renounce yet… he needed to prove something firs. He didn't know what.

He needed to at least give a deep wound…

He watched his right corner… his hand clenched and unclenched, it was a foolish plan, a useless trick… but what else could he do? He would sacrifice definitely his game, but at least he would give a last strike. His hand trembled and the boy felt his muscles contract.

Hikaru hung his head and gritted his teeth. What was he so afraid of? He loved Go! He wanted to play Go freely!

Then… why he was so afraid to make that move… He had already lost, why not just giving up!

Resign! Clamored a voice inside him.

"Oh… are you alright child?" Asked the old man in an almost gentle voice, however his eyes were mocking. Hikaru had his answer, he could not, would not resign to this man. There were just some people who needed to be fought till the end.

He was tired of escaping! He was always running… Hikaru felt suddenly deeply embarrassed with himself, the sound of a fan closing caught his attention. Sai was looking at the man in front of him with loathing in his eyes. He was itching to do something he knew, he recognized that glint of impotence in the ghost eyes.

If Sai were the one playing... he would fight to the end, Hikaru knew. No, he would have won already… But he wasn't Sai. He was Sai's brother, Sai's coward of a brother…

_"Sai."_ He said and the ghost glanced at him "_Yes Hikaru?"_ The eyes were compassionate but sad, they were hoping, wishing for things that he knew wouldn't come to pass. He wasn't expecting for him to fight to the end.

_"I'm sorry for being a coward… I will play now. I will really play now. I won't hide anymore_" Said the kid, and with a shaking hand he grabbed a stone. _"I will give my all_"

Sai stared at the child and then smiled; it wasn't a tender smile, but a fierce one. _"I have been waiting a very long time to hear that Hikaru." _

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

"Thank you for the game" Said the man and Mitani stopped in the middle of his move. "I'm sorry, but I must really go, I have an appointment in less than twenty minutes" He said in a monotone voice, not sounding sorry at all.

Mitani opened and closed his mouth, but the man was already picking up the stones, erasing the pattern of the game… as if it didn't matter at all… as if it had never existed.

"Thank you for your time Shinohara-kun. You are really a remarkable player. I hope that you keep improving. Said the man in the same bored voice. Mitani bit his lip; the man wasn't even looking at him while speaking.

Like…

Like if he didn't matter at all…

"Have a nice day" He said and Mitani felt a hand in his shoulder, he raised his face and looked at the Kaga guy who was staring him with a serious expression. His vision blurred and he hung his head. What was wrong with him?!!! It was just a stupid game! It didn't matter… But it did… He had given all he had; he had played his best and…

When he cheated and lost he knew that he wasn't playing at his best… after all the costumers didn't really bother to look too closely… but this man, he had looked, and judged him…

He had found him lacking.

He clenched his teeth. Something heavy was crushing his chest. It hurt.

"Come on, let's go." Sad Kaga and gave him a pat in the head "If you have time to blubber then you also have time to get better."

"Shut up!" He hissed and glared at the boy. Who just grinned "It's the truth. The guy defeated you. So what? Get better and show him who you are!"

"It's not that simple!! He, he…"

"He was a bastard, yes, there are plenty of those. You can wail and complain and it will not change a thing." Kaga was looking at him, straight in his eyes; he had a very scary face, Mitani now recognized. "If you feel that you cannot get better, then give up on Go!" He finished walked to the table where the boy with the glasses was playing.

Mitani wanted to kick something, so he did; he kicked the table, earning a sore foot and a few glares from others players. He was furious. How dared him?!! Give up on Go?!! He would get better, a lot better! He would show them!!!

He never saw Kaga smiling at him. A kind of proud smile, with an edge of sadness.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

Touya entered the Go salon with his father and smiled when some of the costumers recognized them and waved enthusiastically. However he was not prepared to see Ogata-san speaking in his cell phone and glaring at the wall.

"Ogata-kun. What a surprise. Were you looking for me?" Asked his father and the man jumped as if startled. While it was not uncommon to find the man in the go salon. He never was present of weekends.

"Touya-sensei. Good afternoon. Akira-kun." He greeted them with a polite smile. "No, I was just giving back something. I am going home now".

"Giving back something…" Murmured Touya and his gaze went to the saloon. Searching for something, someone. A black uniform caught his attention and his heart started beating furiously. A boy with a black cap and black hair, next to tall boy. They seemed to be bickering and the taller boy was holding a bag. THE bag.

His legs started to move on his own but a hand stopped him. "It's not worth your attention Akira. Leave it" Said Ogata-san and the boy stared hard at him.

"Did you…?"

"I played him. He is above average, but nothing extraordinaire. Leave the boy alone."

Touya stared at him. Hearing the words but not understanding them. Not Worth it.

"You're wrong!"

"Akira" Said the man with an edge of impatience.

"No! I played him! He is worth it!"

Ogata stared at his outburst. He had never seen that glint in the boy's eyes. "Akira, listen to me…" He started but the boy was now walking past him and to the other brats, Ogata swallowed a groan and felt the principle of a headache.

**Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5Go5 **

Kaga patted Tsutsui's head with his fan and the boy glared at him.

"See? I told you it would be okay. We got the bag and some more" Grinned the boy ignoring the confused look of Tsutsui. "Well, fetch the cricket! We are leaving, we must celebrate our success wit some sushi!!"

"And who is going to pay?" Asked Tsutsui and Kaga glared at him. "Being the one who did most of the work, such things are not of my concern. Now go and get the cricket!" He said and Tsutsui went muttering some well choose insults at abusive megalomaniacs.

Kaga smirked and went back to Mitani's table. "Yo! We are going to get some sushi. Wanna come?"

The other boy glared at him and tossed him the bag. "Why should I? We are not friends or something!" Said the younger boy.

"Ah! So it is obligatory to eat _only_ with friends?"

"Well no! But it is not pleasant to eat with someone who bribed you into pretending to be someone else!" He yelled making a move to leave, but Kaga grabbed him by the neck, effectively stopping him.

"Ah! Come on you enjoyed it!!"

"Enjoy what?!! Being beaten?! Yes it was sooo fun!!"

"Yes, yes say whatever you want, you had this maniac glint in your eyes the entire game" Declared Kaga while dragging the boy to the door.

"Ouch!! Let go! My neck!!! I don't wanna go!"

"Why? You're not hungry?"

"Yes… No! I mean… let me go!!!"

"Okay! We will get some curry. Really, there's no need to make such a drama!"

"Listen to what people says, you moron!!!"

"Oh shit!!"

Mitani stopped struggling and following Kaga's line of vision he saw a boy coming right in their direction. He looked a little angry… murderous really.

"So, what did you do to _that_ bloke?" He asked and Kaga released him and stepped in front of him.

"Hide your face, and whatever you do don't speak!" Whispered the boy and Mitani glared but complied.

Akira stopped just a table away from the boys and suddenly found himself speechless. He remembered vaguely the tall boy as the captain of the team of… that school. His attention however was entirely in the boy behind the other one. He frowned, the boy was… different. Too tall, even with his head hung and slouch posture. He tried to see the face but the other boy was blocking his vision.

"Yes? What do you want, Touya Akira?" Said Kaga with a frosty tone. Touya blinked once. How did he recognize him? While his name was relatively known players among the Go players, his face wasn't.

"Uhm, do I know you?" He finally asked. The other boy's glare intensified but a moment later his face became calmer.

"Yes, but I don't believe that you remember me. It doesn't matter. Now if you excuse us…" Akira knew a dismissal when he heard one, but he needed to know!

"Wait!" He said grabbing the shoulder of the smaller boy as he passed at his side, at the touch the other lifted his face and glared at him, Touya glared back.

"You're not him…" He hissed.

"I'm not who? Let me go!" Said Mitani. Really, why did strange boys insisted on mauling him?. The Touya boy gripped him harder and he winced, that surely would give him a bruise. He had enough; it had been a crappy day. No, it had been a hell of a week!!

"Let me go!!" He yelled pushing the other boy back. He then started walking to the entrance. He was just wanted to go home!. Sleep, preferably for several days in a row.

"Wait, that isn't yours!!" Said the boy, grabbing one handle of the tattered bag, Mitani and Kaga pulling at the other one. A tug-o-war started between the three.

"Akira!!" Admonished a strong and deep voice. However, the boys were still too busy pulling at yelling at each other to listen.

"Akira stop this! What has gotten into you?" Said Toya Koyo, and his son glared at him. "This doesn't belong to them!"

"What are you saying Akira?" Asked Ogata who was now openly glaring at the two "brothers".

"I know who this bag belongs to!! I saw him, and it was not him!!" Said the boy. And Ogata glare went up a notch, if there was something he hated was being fooled.

"Stop this!" He said, joining the battle for the bag. Soon the four of them were screaming and pulling at the already worn out thing.

"Kaga?!!" Joined a new voice but in the middle of the scuffle Tsutsui voice was lost, suddenly a large ripping sound was heard and the bag fell apart and Touya let go of the handle in his hands in surprise, while Ogata kept pulling, the result being that something large went flying out of the bag and crashed against the ceiling with an horrible breaking sound, two pieces and a rain of little shining things suddenly scattered around the floor.

A deafening silence fell on the room as a piece of something resembling a board fell in front of Touya Akira, who looked at it in horror, the edges were too uneven and the compressed wood was falling apart, it looked beyond repair. A strangled sob broke the silence, with a feel of dread Akira lifted his head, in front of him there was a boy who has holding the other piece of the board in trembling hands.

"Shindo?"

The name made the boy lift his head and Touya saw Shindo Hikaru's pale face. He looked as if somebody had just dropped dead in front of him. The boy cradled the piece of broken wood close to him with a painful care, his eyes glistening with tears.

"Shindo? You?!! What?" He heard his own voice and the other boy looked at him with panic, then he looked at Ogata-san and his eyes went alert and frightened, like a cornered animal.

"It was you?! All this time it was you!!" Akira felt anger building in his chest.

"In the tournament it was you!! No, even before, it was you all along!! Why didn't you tell me?!! How could you be so selfish?!!" He said to the boy. All this time, it had been him! Why did he didn't tell him?

"Akira" Said someone, a hand came to rest in his shoulder but he brushed it off. Shindo was frowning and was trying to leave, Touya didn't let him, and he grabbed his hand.

"No! No again. You owe me a game." Said the boy and glared at his classmate. He wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. The boy had not denied his accusations. He owed him a game!.

"You will finish it!" hissed Akira and tried to drag the other boy, he gave a step and a dry crunch made a second stunned silence, slowly Touya lowered his eyes and saw the second piece of the toy under his shoe, it was now completely broken.

In shock he lifted his feet and let go the hand he had been gripping. He saw Shindo's eyes also fixed on the floor, and then slowly, so very slowly they fixed on his face, filled with a rage that made Touya cringe. Shindo looked beyond angry; his lips were compressed in a thin white line, the eyes red and glistening. The lips opened and a raspy whisper came from them that, in the oppressing silence of the saloon, sounded like a shout.

"Never"

With a last glare the boy turned around and left the building, the other boys following him.

Touya stared at the broken board on the floor.

TBC

Thank you to all the reviews! I wish I could answer them all, but I just don't have the time, sorry. But I'm deeply grateful for them. Some made me laugh like a maniac. Thanks!!

NOTES:

About the old man…. Well I think it is pretty obvious now…


	9. New paths

**Chapter 9: New paths**

Hikaru glared at his father with renewed force, he was starting to doubt the man ability to understand words… at least written ones…

"Hikaru just explain me this!" He said waving in the air a small piece of paper. "I mean…Yes I know that Tsutsui attends this school, but Hikaru, That's not a reason to leave Kaio!!"

Shindo Masao had come fuming to his house, after receiving a note in his office from his son school; explain that said son had been missing classes, for an entire week. He had gone home early and had encountered his son seating calmly at the table with a thick folder in front of him and a small note atop reading: 'I want to be transferred to Haze Middle School. Please sign these.'

After half an hour his son still looked unruffled and not chastised at all. In fact he looked bored. Masao was feeling lost. "Hikaru, just tell me why?"

His son sighed and tilted his head slightly as if listening to something, a habit that he hated, and then he stared at him with an absolutely serious face; eyes hard and far too mature for his age.

"Hikaru…" He started but his son was already writing.

'I don't want to be on THAT place anymore. I won't change my mind."

It was a short sentence but his son face left no place for an argument. In fact he looked ready to fight till the end. Masao paused and really looked at his son, he was… taller, different. And he was looking at him as if he was an especially evil adversary. His son didn't trust him.

The man looked at the folder for the first time and felt as his son got tense, it was the necessary documents for the transfer, and everything was ready. How? His son was just a kid; he shouldn't be able to do this…

He stared at his son, at this small stranger in front of him. "I will sign these" He said in a whisper "But, you must be on top grades. If you drop your grades you will be back at Kaio."

His son glared his head but nodded curtly. Shindo Masao signed the papers with a smirk. Hikaru would never be able to get perfect notes, it was just a phase.

"Good morning class"

The group rose to their feet in attention and then seated themselves at the sign. Akira stared at the empty chair near him. Shindo´s Chair… It had been almost a week since the incident and Shindo had just vanished.

"Well before we start today I must announce a sad event. The principal has just announced me that Shindo Hikaru will be absent from this institution for at least this semester, I know that we all feel very sorry for this. However we must focus on the exams of midterm, I have just received the result form the last math exam and I'm deeply worried about some of you…"

Akira was staring at his teacher. Gone? Where? Why?!! His mind was working overload. It was like chasing a ghost!! The bubble of anger and guilt that always seemed to appear at the name of the other boy suddenly doubled its size. Yes he was deeply sorry for having ruined that board, but really it was a really old board, too much used and not even of good quality 'Perhaps it wasn't the value the reason why he was so upset perhaps it was much more…' whispered an ugly voice resembling too much like his father.

But it had been an accident!! He didn't even gave him time to properly apologize, And he was always walking away!!! He was… he was…

"No!" He said in a load voice and the whole room stared at the usually stoical boy.

"Don't worry Touya-kun I assure you that you're not among the ones with this problem…" Said his sensei with a mild smile. Touya blushed and mumbled an apology. Perhaps it was time to have a chat with his sensei…

"Welcome to Haze Shindo-kun, my name is Tamako sensei and this year I will be your sensei, I'm also the science teacher." Hikaru bowed politely to his teacher, she seemed like a good person already. A girl was standing behind her and Hikaru looked at her, she seemed vaguely familiar.

"Oh! This Is Fujisaki Akari, she volunteered to be your guide for the first days, she has a cousin with the same problem as you and is very skilled at sing language." She said with a brilliant smile and proud eyes to the girl who blushed and bowed.

"Ah! Well that wasn't the only reason… I heard your name and well... perhaps you don't remember but we where together at kinder garden and our moms where friends… I…well I would like to show you around… that's it if you want…"

Hikaru stared at the girl who blushed intensely. She really seemed familiar but he couldn't remember her…at least not clearly…

He finally signaled his consent and the girl smiled brilliantly… perhaps too brilliantly for his tastes.

"Okay then!!" Said Tamako sensei and pushed the pair inside the classroom. "Class has already started; here this will be your place…"

"And this is the music classroom, is Kamachi-sensei's class. You should really never come late, he hates that and…" Hikaru's head was spinning from the overload of information that the girl beside him was producing, 'under her wing' was a mild expression to the attitude that Fujisaki-chan had got over him, she seemed determined to show him everything, he just hoped that the boy's bathroom wasn't included in the tour.

"Oi!!! It's the chibi-cricket!!!" Hikaru tensed and got in defensive pose at the voice his eyes going wide and alert, suddenly behind him a strong arm grabbed him and started to suffocate him.

"Kaga stop that you are hurting him!!!!" Came Tsutsui's voice and Hikaru was very glad for that because he was starting to see funny colors…

"Oh come on, he can take. Can't you cricket?"

"KAGA!!!" Screamed the boy trying to liberate Hikaru from the grip which only resulted in cutting even, more his air supply. "Oh! Come on if he really is uncomfortable he can always complain!!"

"Oh… not this again!!! Let him go before he passes out!!!" After the go salon incident Kaga was absolutely sure that Hikaru was faking his muteness, he had apparently heard the boy talk or at least he had heard a small "something" from him, the others being too far away had not heard anything, and while he wasn't completely sure that he had heard a sound or a word he was determined to test his theory.

"He is turning blue!!!!!" Kaga and Tsutsui stopped in mid argument at the girl's shout, who was staring in horror at a very purple Hikaru.

"Upss!" Kaga dropped the boy who crashed to the floor.

"You killed him!!!"

"I didn't!!!"

"Kaga you idiot!!! Are you satisfied?!!!" Screamed Tsutsui torn between horror and indignation. Hikaru's father had put the boy under his care!!!

"Look here I wasn't trying to..." Kaga was looking longingly at the door and between a crying girl and an enraged boy.

"He is dead!!!"

"You are standing on his back!!!"

"Uh?" Akari pointed at the floor where Tsutsui was indeed standing on top of the boy.

"Sorry!!!"

"Well, ok, now that everything is fine, we must come to the important business, now that cricket is here you finally have your team Tsutsui."

Tsutsui and Hikaru stared at the boy. "Go? Ring any bells? The whole tournament fiasco was just to form the go club isn't? Now we have the cricket and the carrot boy...

"Carrot boy?"

"Yes well he is orange and tall what else could he be? Now DON'T INTERUMPT! As I was saying now you have three people, just enough to start."

Tsutsui rubbed his temple in what he was starting to name as Kaga-headache "First of all Mitani-kun is not in the club, neither is Shindo-kun. And we don't even have a room, or a board we don't even won the tournament!!!"

"Don't let little details to stop you my little friend, those things are secondary, you have three men and this beautiful female member" Said Kaga signaling Akari with his fan "Who are you by the way?" He said frowning at her.

"Ah… uhm... Fujisaki, Fujisaki Akari nice to…"

"See! Now there are four of them, the thing is growing I tell you!!"

"Kaga stop deciding for other people, last time I knew Mitani wasn't interested in joining a club, especially not a nonexistent one!!!!" Said Tsutsui almost in tears, while Akari was helping Hikaru to regain his feet.

"About that, let me be in charge of him you juts get the room and everything will go just smoothly!" Said the teen with a confident and rather sinister smile before almost literally vanishing, leaving a half chocked boy, a confused girl and a nearly hysterical Tsutsui.

"So… how did he manage to convince you?"

"I don't want to talk about it" Said Mitani in a hollow whisper and Tsutsui nodded some thing were better left in the mystery, especially things concerning Kaga.

"Tamako-sensei gave us permission to use the science lab and also she gave me this today, she said that his father no longer used them!!" Said Akari in a cheerful voice, depositing two boards and two bowls in the table. Tsutsui smiled "It's good, I have one more here, my uncle has never used them so gave this to me."

The four of them, Hikaru, Mitani, Tsutsui and Akari were united in the science lab for the very first session of the go club of Haze Middle School. Hikaru was inspecting the boards with an absent look and Mitani was looking at the ceiling with a lost look. Tsutsui was chatting about schedules and roles, and an invisible Sai was chatting about old times in some castle where he was teaching some pupil.

"Ah… Tsutsui sempai?" Said Akari, interrupting the boy "Yes?"

"Well it's just that… well I don't know how to play…."

A dead silence settled in the room.

"You what?!!!" Screamed Mitani "Then why are you here?!!"

"Mitani! Stop it!" Tsutsui looked at the girl "Well, yes you never said that you knew how to play… Well I suppose that we can teach you, it will be a good exercise…"

"No!"

"Mitani!!"

"I came here so I can grow stronger, no to teach the ABC to little girls!!"

"Hey!!"

Hikaru stood up and shoved a paper in the face of Mitani. 'You will give her a lesson every time I beat you!'

A small vein popped in his forehead, and he glared at the boy "You think that you can beat me so easily?" He said in an angry growl. Hikaru smiled at him and tilted his head to the side.

"Okay!!! I will do it!! But you will dance like a chicken every time I beat you!!" Mitani said with a predatory smirk on his face, Hikaru smiled at him and shook hands with him.

"Oh boy…" Tsutsui whispered.

"So that means I can stay?" Asked Akari.

"And then you just click here… see? And like these…"

Hikaru nodded and stared at the screen. When Tsutsui had invited him to the go convention he had never expected to see this… While the game had been really interesting the screen in front f him was the real prize of the day.

"So now you need only a name to play, you can use your real name or another one, are you sure you want to play at this level?"

"Hikaru nodded and the man smiled "Okay, just remember to be polite, you're playing against another human. He! You could be playing the meijin himself!!"

"Hikaru stared at the screen, anyone…anybody…

"Well just type your name and then click here. I will be here if you have any problem ok?"

Hikaru nodded absently and then smiled at Sai who was poking the machine not quite understanding how this… thing could play Go, it was just… impossible!!!

"_**Sai… I think you will finally play freely…"**_ The boy grinned and Sai looked as his hand typed three letters: SAI.


	10. Little steps

**chapter 10: Little steps**

The sound of the stones was almost the only sound in the crowded room, to anyone interested in Go, the scene in front of them would be a familiar one, a bunch of people around a goban nodding and talking to themselves while a game was in progress; however, this was not a typical game.

"And then here…"

For instance there was only one person playing at the board, and it was a child.

"And then he just cut him there"

He was an insei, surrounded by professional players, recreating a game he had only seen into a screen. Waya deposited the last stone and a low murmur rose from the people around him.

"Poor one"

"It was a real massacre"

"It is strange, you know? He looks too good to be real; perhaps it's a computer playing!"

"Don't be daft! There isn't a computer capable of playing Go at this level!!"

"What is going on here?!!"

Morishita-san was a formidable man, in a good day, but his pupils usually referred to him as a "nice demon". So it was no surprise that when he entered the room everybody left room for him.

"What's this?" He asked eyeing the board with a curious frown. "Who got beaten like this? I hope it wasn't you Waya!!"

"Ah?!! No!!" Said the boy huffing in indignation. "I saw this game on the net last night and well… it was good, white was very good!"

"Yes, yes I can see it, but who is this?"

The boy opened his mouth and frowned "He's been around for three months, I think… and well he is supposedly Japanese but nobody knows this person."

"No one? Waya this is not a mere amateur…" Said one of the pros eyeing the board with almost fear. "He humiliated a 4-dan; this is not a mere player."

"4-dan?" Asked Morishita-sensei touching lightly the pattern of the board, as if trying to get the thoughts of the players trough his own fingers.

"Yes!! And he did it in almost half an hour, it was creepy it was like seeing a super-fuku!!"

"A super fuku? Are you talking about that insei that always beats you?" Waya blushed and glared at the man. "I just don't like speed go… it was dizzying. I couldn't even blink, he was so fast and he took no time to think!!"

"We understand Waya… However this super fuku must have a name?"

"He calls himself Sai"

* * *

"Agh!!! NO!!!"

Hikaru bowed to his opponent and then he did a fancy dance of victory with two pirouettes included, Mitani glared at him with renewed force and stomped out of the room in a dramatic exit.

"Remember you have to pay!!" Yelled Tsutsui who was explaining some strategies to Akari.

"Shut up!!! I know!!!" Mitani yelled back, glaring at the still dancing Hikaru.

"I still can't believe that he is unable to defeat you, I mean he is strong!" Said Akari, and Tsutsui nodded.

"Yes, I think that Shindo's Go is getting better and better."

Hikaru stopped dancing and seated himself on the floor yawning widely and rubbing his eyes.

"Uhm… Shindo, I know that you study a lot but I think that getting enough rest is also important." Said Tsutsui while eyeing the bags under the other boy eyes. "I will help you with science if you still have problems, you know?

Hikaru smiled lazily and rested his head on his hands. Tsutsui nodded and continued with his explanation. Akari on the other hand still kept glancing at Hikaru, ever since the reencounter she had taken on herself to help the boy on anything she could, even if Hikaru didn't remember their former friendship she did, and she also remembered that his mother used to be very kind to her.

"Fujisaki-chan?"

"AH? Sorry Tsutsui-sempai I got distracted!" She apologized. But the other boy smiled at her. "It's okay. How are you Go classes going?"

"Ah well, fine!! The instructor is very good and he explains things in a simple manner, just wait in no time I will defeat you sempai!!"

Tsutsui laughed and nodded. She was really starting to like playing Go, and she seemed to have some ability for the game, she was a bright kid with a very good memory. If a bit unsure of herself.

"WAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!"

"AAAAH !!!!"

A large… thing came wailing to the science room waving large furry arms and scaring the hell out of the two students.

"KYAAAA!!!!!"

The door opened once more and Mitani stared at the mess inside, Fujisaki was throwing stones to a… thing and Tsutsui was… dead?. The thing was tall and green and furry… just like the costume of the parrot from the theater club.

"Oh come on! It's just Kaga!!"

Akari stopped in mid attack and stared at the green monster who was now chuckling openly.

"Kaga-sempai?" She asked and from the deeps of the monster emerged the head of the teen who started to laugh openly.

"Oh God! Your faces!!!" He said while doubling in laughter. Akari stared at him and the saw Tsutsui fallen form and went to help him. Mitani sighed and seated himself in front of his lost game glaring at the teen.

"When are you going to stop doing this?! It's been MONTHS!!! For God's sake!! He-can't-talk!!"

Kaga glared at him and divested himself from the dusty costume and opened his almighty fan "Never, I made a promise and a man like me never desists!!"·

"Look, yes he may have uttered a SOUND, So? And look he didn't even notice you this time!"

"Uh?" Indeed, the main victim was fast sleep on the floor, a small pool of drool forming on his jacket. While a ghost was still recovering from a hearth attack. Kaga poked the sleeping boy, but he got no response. "He is a heavy sleeper isn't?"

"He is exhausted…ouch my head!!" Moaned Tsutsui. "I told you about his father, he really don't want to return to Kaio, and that is what will happen if his notes are not good"

"Ah yes…old men stuff… Well, let him sleep. I must go, my club is waiting for me and they get lazy if I'm not there."

"Yes, yes…."

"Oh! By the way Tsutsui, I saw this the other day, here" Kaga gave the boy a folded piece of paper, announcing an inter school tournament.

"Oh…Thanks…"

"I will go to supervise you. So you better start training in earnest."

Tsutsui nodded absently while reading the pamphlet, with Akari and Mitani reading over his shoulder.

"It's next month… In… Kaio?" Said Mitani and three pairs of eyes rested on the sleeping boy.

"Well Touya Akira is not among the go. Club members, Kaga investigated, so I think that it should be fine…"

Mitani stared at the paper feeling a little excitement, he had heard a lot of stories about the Kaio Go club, and if he could defeat them then he would be closer to that man. He was stronger already, he would show him.

* * *

_"Now Hikaru, Keima."_

"_What!!!_" Asked the boy without taking his eyes from the computer screen. _"Are you sure?"_

Sai nodded while his eyes were on the screen, a shiver ran trough Hikaru, ever since they had started playing on the net he had seen Sai as a real Go player, and he was.. _scary. _He had no mercy on the board, he was precise and never double doubted his moves.

_"Hikaru."_

_"Oh?! Keima! Yes! Sure, sorry!!"_ Stammered the boy and he winced when the other player effectively gained a large part of black's territory, however Sai only smirked and pointed a new move.

Ten minutes later he not only regained the territory but he managed to overcome his opponent in a beautiful contra strike. Hikaru stared at the screen. It was like seeing an eagle calmly soar trough strong winds... Sai had been always like this?

Hikaru closed the screen and turned of the computer. It had been a birthday present from his father, and he had never really used it before, only after learning about the net-go he had really paid attention to the machine.

_"You should really rest more Hikaru"_ Said Sai while Hikaru yawned and rubbed his eyes three times in a row.

"_I'm fine…_" He said and smiled to the ghost. "_Soo this is the victory number two hundred! Congratulations Mr all Mighty!"_

Sai smiled proudly and followed the boy to the bathroom. Said boy almost collided against the door when he forgot to open it before trying to enter the bathroom.

_"I'm meaning it Hikaru! You need more rest!"_

"_I told you already, I'm completely fine! I'm super, energetic!!! See?!!_" He said giving a spin to make his point and then washed his face with cold water. Said glared at him and sighed when the boy took his toothbrush and a tube from the shelf.

"_So why are you putting burn salve on your toothbrush?_"

_"Uh?"_ The boy stared at the pink salve that was definitely not the green toothpaste and sighed. "I'm fine I just need to resist until the exams and then I can rest a bit more…·

_"I'm talking about Go, I don't need to play every night, and last night lasted till 4 am._"

"_Sai, I'm fine. You promised to play tonight to that guy from china, remember?"_

_"No!_" Hikaru paused and looked at the ghost who was glaring at him, He washed the brush on the sink and frowned.

"_Hikaru, I'm not mad at you, but I will no allow for you to get sick, the exams are next week. No Go till then."_

_"What!!! Are you crazy?!!"_

_"I mean it Hikaru, Look at yourself you are pale like a candle and have those creepy bags under your eyes and next time you get sleep on the bus you could en up on another city, lost hungry, in the middle of a storm, and…"_

_"Okay, okay, no net go till the exams are done… But."_

Said stopped in the middle of his tragic tale and looked at the boy who was grinning. "_But?"_

_"When I pass those horrible, dreadful exams you will show me how you did that thing the other night?"_

_"What thing?"_

The boy laughed at the too innocent expression of the man "_The speed go! That combination, how did you got him all trapped so fast!!!"_

Sai smiled and patted him in the head with his fan "Practice"

"_Oh don't 'practice" me!! It was sooo great, I bet he was left with his head spinning!!"_

_"It really comes from practice and experience, but I can show you some fine points to the art, if you get enough sleep and pass those exams. Ok?"_

_"I will!!!"_

_"Hikaru."_

_"Yea?"_

_"Are you sure about the tournament?"_

_"Yes, I can't ditch the team, we have no replacement and I really enjoyed the last one, well at least till the end…_" He said with a hurt look, and Sai frowned.

_"Hikaru…"_

_"But! I won't hide anymore I told you!! The almighty will show them!! And it isn't as if that guy is on the team."_

A heavy thunder resounded outside and Sai frowned at the black sky. He saw Hikaru shiver and he smiled encouragingly.

_"Yes of course…Put on your pajama before you get a cold, I will help you with History tonight._

_"No!!! Not History!! My head will hurt from all those names!!!"_

_"It is important!"_

_"Yeah, yeah…Okay just only important names ok? I don't really need to know the name of the servants!!"_

_"But, Minako-san was a very nice girl!!!…"_

_"I'm not hearing any more!!!"_

* * *

Touya stared at the school in front of him, feeling suddenly very nervous. It had been really difficult to get the information, and some months but he had finally got the name of the school that Hikaru had transferred to, however in the plan he had never once thought what to say.

"Are you looking for something?" A girl asked him Touya stared at her, unsure for a moment.

"I'm looking for a student, sixth grade…uhm…"

"And, you know his class? A name?"

"Shindo, Shindo Hikaru." The girl frowned. "Ah you're a lucky one, I know him, and we are in the same club"

"Ah, yes thank you." Akira frowned, club?. "Excuse me but, what kind of club are you in?"

"Mmmm I'm normally on the volleyball club, but I'm helping with the go club just for now."

"Oh, I see…" Touya felt his hearth speed at her words, Shindo was playing in a Go club?!! Where they that good? .

"NO!!!!! I WILL KILL YOU!!!!"

"No Mitanni!!!! Wait you can kill him after the tournament!!!!"

"SEMPAI!!!"

The chaotic noise was coming from an open window and he approached slowly, taking a peek inside. There where four people and several boards, Go-boards!!

"One more time!!!" Screamed an orange haired boy, while erasing a previous game, Touya gasped when he recognized his opponent being no one but Shindo. Said boy was smiling in a condescending and mocking way while seeing his fingernails, which only served to enrage more his opponent. He had never seen Shindo _smile _before.

"Uhm… Mitani sempai he has defeated you five times today…" Said a girl in a slow hushing sound which only earned her a glare.

"Oi! Just give up Mitani, you're not going to defeat him!"

"Kaneko-san, you came!!!"

The girl, Kaneko, smiled at the girl and waved a lazy greeting to everybody. "Yes, well I can't leave here with this loud guy winning me!"

"I'm not loud!"

"Yes you are!!" She said and then signaled at the still unnoticed boy behind her. "I found this boy outside, he is searching for Shindo-kun.

All the eyes went to him, but he locked his on one person, who was looking suddenly very annoyed.

"Ah…Toya Akira isn't?" Said Tutsi looking between the two kids. "Excuse me, but, why are you here?"

Said boy looked a bit nervous for a while but he bowed deeply the next. "I have come to apologize for my behavior, I'm truly sorry."

Hikaru stared at the boy and everyone else stared at the pair.

"_Hikaru, I think he is being sincere."_Said the ghost while staring at the ceiling.

"_Yes, and he might be preparing to go on hysterics again!"_Answered the boy who was starting top plan a escape.

"_Don't even think about it!! I'm getting to old for those races" Amonished Sai_ pointing the boy with his fan.

" You're death, you can't get older!"

" _Don't be a brat. Now! You will graciously accept that it wasn't his entire fault!"_

"_It__** was**__ his fault!!! That noisy, pest.."_

"_Stop before you sprout a frog from your mouth!" _ Said the ghost while shivering at thought of the amphibian. "_At least accept his apology."_

Meanwhile the room seemed to have been frozen in an uncomfortable silence. Hikaru gave the other boy a forced smile and nodded. The eyes of Akira were on the board in front of Hikaru, a small glint of something was starting to grow in his eyes.

Touya Akira had grow among some of the best players in Japan, he had seen hundreds of games between them, he had first learned how to properly grab a stone before walking, he learned to spot small details and to understand its meaning, this was definitely not a room for playing Go, the boards were old and so were the stones, he could see two games, one was terribly bad and the other seemed to be a session of shidougo more than a real match.

His eyes went to the face of the other kid. Why was he waisting time here? He had a real talent! He was...

"Shindo... Why are you here?" He asked with a frown, while eyeing the room. "Why are you waisting your time here?"

"Hey!!" Exclaimed Mitani "He can be anyplace he wants"

"Shindo" He continued while ignoring the other boy. "Your Go is beyond this. You know it don't you?"

Hikaru was now glaring at him.

"And just who are you?!! What is it with you if he wants to play here?!!" Said Mitani in a loud voice.

"Are you satisfied?! This is what you want?!" Said Touya while staring directly to Hikaru.

Hikaru stared back. He wanted to said yes, but he couldn't nod while Touya was staring him like that, he couldn't lie at those eyes...

Sai glanced at Hikaru and smiled at him, he had been trying to insinuate the same to him for months and this boy did it in a few minutes. He eyed the Touya boy, he liked his eyes, determined, stubborn, he was calling for Hikaru and he seemed determined to drag him if needed.

This determination, this absolute will to make things happen, it was what Hikaru was lacking...

"yes!! This is what he wants!! He wants to be on this team and he wants to compete on the tournament! Don't you Shindo?!!" Asked Mitani, glaring at the boy. Hikaru looked between the two, he seemed like a cornered rabbit between two hunting dogs.

He finally hung his head and started playing with the stones, Sai frowned at him.

"See?, he wants to stay, now please leave him alone"

Touya was still staring at Shindo, he clenched his fist and smiled "No, he don't want his." He whispered and with a small bow of his head he left the room.

He walked calmly trough the streets almost feeling cheerful, he had seem the yearning in the eyes of the 0other boy, he was asking for a challenge. But he seemed afraid. Of what, Akira didn't know.

"I will show you Shindo"


End file.
